Graduation

The Platform team asked graduates what they'd say to someone who was thinking of studying with the OU. Find out what our fully-robed grads said as we chatted to them during a degree ceremony at The Barbican, London, in September 2012...

 

Watch this video interview with OU graduate Gordon MacKay who's managed to triple his salary and find success in the workplace thanks to his OU qualifications. Gordon left the Royal Navy in the 1970s with no qualifications and later embarked on a journey with The Open University in which he's gained skills, confidence and a handful of qualifications.

Here he tells his emotional story, on the day he graduated from Manchester's Bridgewater Hall in October 2012...

If you are an OU graduate and started your own business within two years of graduating, you can take part in a short survey for the chance to win £60 in Amazon gift vouchers.

The OU takes part in an annual exercise, the Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey (HEBCIS) involving all UK universities, run by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).

HEBCIS collects information on universities’ interactions with businesses and the community. This information is collated to provide a picture of how universities are engaging with a wider audience and monitors the exchange of knowledge from universities to benefit both business and community members.

As part of HEBCIS the OU is asked to collect information about any graduates who have started up their own business within two years of graduating. Graduates completing the survey will be entered into a draw for two prizes of £60 in Amazon gift vouchers.

The survey will take less than 10 minutes to complete and will provide valuable information for the HEBCI survey.

You can start the survey by clicking the link below.

• Do the survey
• Survey Q&As (PDF)

If you have any queries or would like to find out more about the HEBCI survey, please contact melanie.franklin@open.ac.uk

 

SURVEY NOW CLOSED

And the winners of the Amazon vouchers are... Christine Costello and Sandra Randall. Congrats!

November 2012

 

An OU graduate has received a Postgraduate Scholars Fulbright Award to enable her to study for a PhD at the University of Missouri on one of the most prestigious and selective scholarship programmes operating world-wide. And she says her OU studies helped her success.

Laura McInerney studied PPE for her undergraduate degree at Oxford University. After working for two years at KPMG, she joined TeachFirst and has taught in challenging East London schools for the past six years.

While working she studied for an Open University MA in Social Science, a Postgraduate Diploma in Social Research Methods and an Undergraduate Certificate in Health & Social Care.

She received the 2008 TeachFirst Excellence Award for inspiring students to reach for outstanding achievements and has since worked part-time for LKMCo and served on advisory boards to the Department of Education and the Labour Party. She is also the author of “The Six Predictable Failures of Free Schools and How To Avoid Them”, a critically acclaimed book examining the coalition’s policy for funding new schools.

As a Fulbright scholar, Laura will study for a PhD in Education Leadership & Policy Analysis at the University of Missouri.

Commenting on receiving the award, Laura said: “It has been a lifelong dream to study for a PhD. The Open University was invaluable in making Masters level study available to me and now being able to study on a Fulbright scholarship associated with so many Nobel prize winners and Heads of State is simply incredible.

“There is no way I would have had the confidence to study abroad without the support of Fulbright. Just like OU it is a life-changing opportunity.”

Created by treaty in 1948, the US-UK Fulbright Commission is the only bi-lateral, transatlantic scholarship programme, offering awards for study or research in any field, at any accredited US or UK university.

The Commission is part of the Fulbright programme conceived by Senator J. William Fulbright in the aftermath of World War II to promote leadership, learning and empathy between nations through educational exchange. Award recipients will be the future leaders for tomorrow and support the “special relationship” between the US and UK.

The Fulbright Commission selects scholars through a rigorous application and interview process. In making these awards the Commission looks not only for academic excellence but a focused application, a range of extracurricular and community activities, demonstrated ambassadorial skills, a desire to further the Fulbright Programme and a plan to give back to the recipient’s home country upon returning.
 

Each graduate has a unique and inspiring story to share about their study experience with the OU. Three shared theirs at the Milton Keynes degree ceremony.

 

 

 

 

 

Mabelle Victoria: PhD in Applied Social Linguistics
An international student who left her family in Switzerland to study in Milton Keynes. She researched non-native speakers and their intercultural communications. The day of graduation symbolised the delivery on a promise to her mum to complete her PhD.



 

Mark Fry: BSc (hons) Psychology
Airline pilot with Virgin Atlantic. Studied as he travelled around the world with work. Hopes to study Aviation Psychology. Now encourages and advises cabin crew on OU studies.

 



Jo-Ann Knight: BA Open
Top tip: “keep going it's worth it in the end”.
Studied for her own benefit. Used forums in Platform and StudentHome to engage with students and tutors. May study more in the future.  
 

 

Recent graduate Jake Smith has just gained a big promotion at work to Senior Marketing Manager at Legal & General. He believes his OU degree and commitment to studies were very positively received during his job interview and played a part in him successfully getting the job.“It shows employers that if you put your mind to something you can achieve it.”

Jake initially studied with the OU to improve his knowledge of web design but decided to continue on to a degree. Platform caught up with him at his degree ceremony in Brighton.

 

First course led to a degree
Once I saw the breadth of courses the OU offered and realised that my qualification would be able to count towards a degree it was even more attractive. I had taken a number of one day training courses with professional training companies through work and though useful they were not in depth enough and really only taught you parrot fashion rather than explaining theory as well as practice and giving you the opportunity to really learn.”

Dreams of becoming a rock star
I had "dropped out" of a degree straight after school to try and be a rock star, with (unfortunately) limited success, 15 years later it felt like unfinished business and so the OU with its flexibility, great reputation and value for money seemed ideal. I knew that I would not be able to afford to do a full time course as my wife was self employed and pregnant with our first child, but I thought that with the wide range of courses I could find a route that would help me develop and give me new opportunities.”

Work supported studies
The OU certificate was really helpful to my role at Legal & General, I was in a role that was very new at my company, there was no real training available in house and so we looked externally. The reputation of the OU meant that my employers were supportive and understood the benefit of me studying, paying for my courses and giving me some study time. The skills I gained from the course really helped me develop in my role and led to a promotion and helped me identify a future career path and gain recognition for my skills and knowledge at work.

Once I had finished the course I discovered that I really enjoyed learning with the OU and so I continued with additional modules which were not work related to complete my degree. My employers were still supportive of my study, giving me interest free loans for the courses. Although my degree ended up being in a different field (Music and technology) many of the skills I developed, such as the ability to take in a large amount of information and make sense of it, writing properly structured essays and managing my time were extremely useful.

Internal promotion at work
Although I am still at the same company, I have been able to move into new areas of the business and can justify my claim that I am a quick learner and able to adapt and take on new skills.

A CV certainly looks much stronger with a degree on it (especially a First Class one!) this is really important when a recruiting manager is making decisions on who to interview. Having the OU on my CV has sparked a question in every interview since I starting studying, and has always been seen in a really positive light. The reputation for quality helps, but so does the recognition of the commitment it takes to study whilst holding down a full time job and starting a family!

Advice for those thinking of doing a degree
The advice I would give is to go for it! You shouldn't underestimate the effort required, but as with most things in life, you get out what you put in. There's no need to put it off, I managed to gain my degree at the same time as holding down a full time job and my wife giving birth to two children. Most importantly make sure you choose something you really want to study or learn about, that way the work always feels meaningful and worthwhile. The huge range of courses available and the quality of the teaching materials, plus the support from tutors and fellow students meant that I really enjoyed my time studying with the OU, in fact where is the prospectus, I reckon I could do some more!
 
A quote from Jake’s manager: John Laney Head of Marketing, Legal & General
“Jake started his study for the OU with a course on web design that was supported by Legal & General and gave him an excellent grounding in the skills and knowledge necessary for his role. The company has a policy of supporting wider learning and we were happy to do so for Jake. As his current manager I would say that his personal development during his study and the successful completion of his degree were positive contributions in his career development. A good degree from a respected University is a key factor in today's world for securing more senior professional positions.”

Find out more:

• Study with the OU
• Career advisory service  

 

Stephen Pitt was introduced to OU study while serving time in prison for armed robbery. On his release he picked up study again, which gave him focus and helped turn his life around. Graduating in 2012, he tells his story...

Louise and Phil Jenkins, both registered blind,  graduated at the OU degree ceremony in Torquay, overcoming their inability to read and realising a dream they never thought possible.

Louise, 47, gained a first class honours degree in literature, studying Shakespeare, Dickens and other classics, as well as modern drama, philosophy and creative writing. Her husband Phil, 46, graduated with an honours degree in psychology, which is recognised by the British Psychological Society.

Louise had to give up on her degree in Astrophysics at Manchester University when she suddenly lost her sight aged 30 and while bringing up her three-year-old daughter.

She said: “Coping with sudden sight loss, accepting new limitations and giving up on a long held dream was a tough experience that took many years to adjust to. I still needed a great deal of determination and commitment to get my degree, and the second chance offered by The Open University provided the means.”

Phil became visually impaired at the age of 10 when at primary school. He was educated in special schools until he was 20 when he decided that the jobs then on offer at the time - basket weaving, piano tuning and telephony - weren’t for him. He went on to gain an HND in Computer Science and after a short spell as a software engineer and lecturer Phil found his vocation in public relations, working for Deafblind UK, RNIB and a Whitehall Department.

It wasn’t until five years ago, after a protracted period of ill health and becoming registered as deaf and blind, that Phil was able to pursue his interest in psychology and begin a degree with The Open University.

Support to study
Both Louise and Phil have guide dogs who have attended residential schools and tutorials with them during their studies.

Louise and Phil have other impairments which has made working full time or full time study in a ‘brick’ university extremely challenging.

Phil said: “The great thing about the OU is you can study at your own pace, take rests when you need them and it all fits around the needs of your impairments. You can even do your exams at home with extra time and rest breaks.”

Louise added: “The OU have been brilliant at making materials accessible and providing a gateway to grants for people to read course materials. Tutors, librarians and other staff deserve our thanks for going out of their way to support our needs. Without them, our journey would have been impossible.”

Louise and Phil's daughter Maya (pictured below), worked as a non-medical helper  during the degrees, reading course materials and proof reading assignments and guided her parents onto the platform at the ceremony. Maya is now at university in Liverpool.

Plans for the future
Louise and Phil aspire to part-time masters degrees in script writing and disability studies and hope to attract some support for the fees from organisations or philanthropists.

Louise said: “I’ve written some plays and performance poetry for local organisations and hope in due course to be able to turn this into my career. I would particularly like to combine my two passions of science and writing to produce works which inspire young people to pursue an interest in the sciences.”

Phil added: “I hope one day to be able to return to the employment market even if it’s not in a conventional nine to five way. I’m a passionate campaigner for the rights of blind and partially sighted people and think my background in public relations, my studies in psychology and hopefully a masters in disability studies will fit together to turn these interests into an income stream.”

Louise and Phil intend to focus their determination and talents on leaving the benefits system behind, while working within their physical limitations to earn their income and independence. 

Find out more:

• Graduates share their study experiences
• Services for disabled students
• Graduation ceremonies 2012/13
• Study a qualification with the OU