Stuart Anderson MP has welcomed £2 million funding for the University of Wolverhampton. This project will support the refurbishment of an existing space to create a modern School of Pharmacy facility. The facility will include specialist equipment, flexible learning spaces that allow for inter-professional education, and audio-visual and tablet technology to support student-led learning. This will support the growth in allied health intake.
It is part of an investment of over £135 million in capital funding to support investment in new buildings, facilities, and equipment for universities and colleges across England. In addition to this, the University has received £30,000 from formula-based teaching capital funding, with the College receiving £13,400.
The Department for Education has also confirmed that funding for high value courses – those that deliver the skills that the country needs and which can lead to higher wages for students. Universities including the University of Wolverhampton will offer short courses, which help people fit training around their lives while helping to plug local skills gaps. Student finance will also be available to students taking the courses, marking the next step in the development of the Lifelong Loan Entitlement. From 2025, this will provide m a loan entitlement to the equivalent of four years of post-18 education that they can then use flexibly over their lifetime.
Higher Education institutions have received support throughout the pandemic, including the bringing forward of an estimated £2.6 billion of tuition fee payments and the announcement of £85 million in student hardship funding. Support was also provided to address income losses from international students over the 2020-21 academic year.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “The University of Wolverhampton is a valued part of our community, and so I am delighted that it has received this funding to help more people benefit from high-quality, flexible education and training opportunities. Over 40% of those at the university are mature students, so I am pleased the Government is taking this action to level up access and enable more people continue or return to studies in a way which best suits them. Science, technology, and biomedicine have been at the forefront of our response to the COVID-19. I welcome this funding which will help on our road to recovery.”
Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said: “Ensuring everyone is given the opportunity to reach their full potential, no matter their age or life stage, is a vital part of our mission to level up this country. These measures, including our new short courses and nine new Institutes of Technology, will boost access to more high-quality and flexible education and training – giving people the chance to learn at a pace that is right for them, while ensuring we have the skilled workforce needed to boost our economy.”
