The Open University

“Online study worked for me – I doubled my salary”

6 December 2017

Five years ago, Ryan Peddie from Newcastle was working as an IT Manager – but when his company started to face financial difficulties and approached a stage of restructuring he realised his job could be in jeopardy. He took stock of his career and decided to shift his horizons and ambitions into a career in […]

Open University renews learning agreement with Unison

6 December 2017

The Open University has renewed its learning agreement with UNISON to benefit workers across the UK’s public services. UNISON’s relationship with The Open University first began in 1997. Since then around 7,000 public service employees who belong to the union have enrolled upon a wide range of accredited courses, right up to degree level. Many […]

2017 degree ceremonies: it’s been memorable

4 December 2017

Our 2017 degree ceremony schedule drew to a close a couple of weeks ago at Gateshead, and what better note to end on than this photo of Matthew who was so happy he could fly! Matthew, a steelworker and now proud owner of a BA (Honours) in English Language and Literature, said: “When I left […]

#Iwas social media campaign wins second award

30 November 2017

A campaign celebrating the stories of the OU’s diverse student community won a UK-wide social media award. The #Iwas campaign was announced as winner of the Best User-Generated Content category in the The Drum’s Social Buzz Awards. In October the campaign won Best Audience Engagement Campiagn category at the UK Social Media Communications Awards. The campaign […]

Universities challenged to abandon ‘Fortress Mentality’ to aid students

23 November 2017

Universities must abandon their “fortress thinking” and awaken to the challenges of operating in a fully digital world, the vice-chancellor of The Open University has said. In a public lecture at the University of Durham, Peter Horrocks warned that too many universities still function according to parameters established in medieval times. He argued for greater […]

OU awarded £500,000 to support disabled veterans

22 November 2017

The OU has been awarded £500,000 to support scholarships for disabled veterans, empowering former Armed Forces personnel to enhance their skills and fulfil their potential. Awarded by the UK Government, the contribution of £500,000 from the LIBOR Fund will support The Open University Disabled Veterans Fund. This will help tap a huge pool of talent by supporting former […]

Fixing the broken market in part-time study

16 November 2017

Open University says part-time students ‘learning while earning’ need direct funding A new report by The Open University, “Fixing the Broken Market in Part-Time study”, published on the website of the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), says the collapse in part-time higher education is a symptom of a broken market It says part-time higher education can support […]

Blitz: The Bombs That Changed Britain

15 November 2017

In 1940, during the Blitz, an unexploded bomb on Martindale Road in London led to residents being evacuated to a local school, where they were told to wait for buses that would take them to safety. But the buses never came. Instead, the people sheltering in the school became a sitting target for returning bombers […]

Budget 2017: Government must “jumpstart” its support for learn and earn

13 November 2017

The Open University has joined forces with the Institute of Directors (IoD) to call on the Government to use the upcoming Budget announcement to “jumpstart” support for lifelong learning in the UK. In a joint letter to Chancellor Philip Hammond, OU Vice-Chancellor Peter Horrocks and the IoD’s Director General Stephen Martin, urged him to recognise that […]

The OU spreads its wings and takes its apprenticeship expertise to the US

13 November 2017

The Open University has partnered with the Transatlantic Apprenticeship Exchange Forum (TAEF) to support the United States in its drive to expand modern and non-traditional apprenticeships. Marking the start of US National Apprenticeship Week, 13-19 November 2017, the OU and TAEF have announced an alliance that will see both organisations work with a range of […]

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Category: Around the OU