Employers

With three-quarters of our students in employment, The Open University in Scotland is at the forefront of ensuring people in the workforce have the opportunities they need to develop and update their skills. Increased skills, employability, and productivity are vital for the economy. 

Upskilling Scotland

The Open University is committed to providing accessible upskilling opportunities for individuals and businesses across the length and breadth of Scotland. There is more information and a short video on our Upskilling Scotland webpage. 

Transform your workforce

We engage with Scotland's employers to understand their challenges and provide exceptional learning and development solutions for a wide variety of organisations, both in terms of type and size. This includes keeping Scotland’s health, social care, education and business professionals at the head of their fields.

900 students are sponsored to study with us by 230 organisations from the Shetland Islands to Dumfries and Galloway. Many more students pay their course fees and are subsequently reimbursed by their employers. 

Why choose The Open University?

• Staff can put into practice what they’ve learnt from day one, providing an immediate return on your investment
• Flexible study minimises disruption to working hours and fits around work priorities
• Accredited learning is deliverable locally, nationally and internationally, irrespective of your number of employees
• We can provide a consistent learning experience across multiple sites
• Our unique learning method is informed by 40-plus years of research into how adults learn and apply knowledge in the workplace to achieve
• Courses and qualifications are often designed in collaboration with employers and industry bodies, maximising their relevance 
• Many Associate Lecturers tutoring our students are actively employed within their specialist disciplines

Our partnership work includes professional and regulatory bodies in key Scottish sectors, like the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and the Scottish Social Services Council.

Find out more about Professional Learning and Development options     
 

Graduate Apprenticeships

The Open University offers Graduate Apprenticeships in Software Development and Cyber Security to employers in Scotland. The apprenticeships are funded by Skills Development Scotland and are available to new and existing employees aged 16 years and over. Visit our apprenticeships page to learn more and register your interest.
 

Our services for employers also include:

Recruitment

OpportunityHub, our free online vacancy service, enables businesses to advertise their opportunities to thousands of our students and graduates. 

Businesses can raise their profile with our students by registering on our Employer Showcase. There is also scope to interact directly with our students, through online forums, webinars and social media events.

If you would like to advertise your vacancies for free to OU students and graduates on Opportunity Hub, please contact Page Munro.

Internships

In partnership with Santander Universities, we run an internship programme which supports small and medium sized organisations to engage students and graduates on short term placements. This flexible scheme is a great way to attract and retain the very best talent. Please read our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more information. If you are interested in offering an internship through this scheme, please contact Page Munro.

Research and Consultancy

In the UK's latest Research Excellence Framework, 72% of our submitted research was ranked as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent' and we came in the top third of UK higher education institutions for 'research power'. Visit our research pages to learn more about our research expertise. We work in collaboration with organisations to share OU expertise to address their training challenges and other business needs, including through consultancy.

Find out more about working with The OU in Scotland.