The Open University announces 250 places on fully funded online courses

The Open University is pleased to announce the provision of 250 places on a range of online courses for those across Northern Ireland who have been furloughed or made redundant as a result of COVID-19.  Fully funded by the Department for the Economy, the places will provide participants the opportunity to secure a qualification which will enable them to be considered for roles in cybersecurity, business management, technology and environment and more.

The Open University are offering places across several postgraduate level courses including:

• Postgraduate Certificate in Computing
• Postgraduate Certificate in Environmental Management
• Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration
• Postgraduate Continuous Professional Development in Sustainable Creative Management
• Postgraduate Continuous Professional Development in Corporate Finance
• Microcredential in Business Management

Participants will be enabled to gain skills and develop knowledge, allowing them to pursue a career in the growing sectors of Northern Ireland.

John D’Arcy, National Director of The Open University in Northern Ireland said, “Being able to help people in these challenging times is what The Open University is all about; opening up education to all, regardless of their background or previous academic experience.  People who need to upskill now to secure employment, will find that these qualifications are an effective way to gain new accredited skills.  Our expertise and experience of online learning, allows us to offer solutions that meet the needs of people and business across Northern Ireland.”

Three-quarters of Open University students in Northern Ireland fit study around their full or part-time employment.  This flexible approach means students can fit learning around other life commitments and continue to study if work circumstances change.

These fully funded places were annonunced as a wider skills package of 3,000 places by the Department for the Economy and are the latest in a range of activities which The Open University is providing to support individuals and businesses across Northern Ireland in the wake of COVID-19.  This includes provision through a range of free online courses for furloughed workers on www.nidirect.gov.uk and a range of free online courses for businesses through www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk in partnership with Invest Northern Ireland.  Both are offered through our free learning platform OpenLearn.