Wigan college celebrates honours for its higher education offer

The entre had previously attained the Silver status in 2017. After new changes to the framework, making for a more rigorous scoring system, this year’s award can be seen as an even stronger reflection for the higher education (HE) provider.

TEF rates universities and those colleges with substantial higher education programmes from Gold to Bronze. The education provider is the largest college provider of apprenticeships, including higher and degree apprenticeships in the North West.

The accolade of a silver classification means “the student experience and outcomes are typically very high quality, and there may be some outstanding features”.

The TEF focuses on the quality of teaching in universities in England and the framework provides a resource for students to judge teaching quality in universities when choosing a university.

College principal Anna Dawe said: “We are delighted to have once again achieved Silver status in this latest and much more demanding Teaching Excellence Framework.

“Our higher education specialises in delivering technical courses with a focus on sector skill priorities needed in our borough, GM and across the North West so it’s essential that we are getting it right and ensuring that our students get the quality experience they deserve.

“This tells us that we are delivering the right curriculum in the right way. It also provides feedback as to how we can further improve and that will inform our future planning.”

This year’s ratings had changed to add in two aspects aiming to provide richer information, rather than just an overall score.

One of the main changes introduced for the TEF 2023 is that a provider receives not only an overall rating but two “aspect” ratings: one for the “student experience” and one for “student outcomes”.

These ratings “reflect the extent to which the university or college delivers an excellent experience and outcomes for its mix of undergraduate students and across the range of its undergraduate courses and subjects.”

Head of higher education Ursula Hoyles said: “The TEF 2023 exercise has allowed us to showcase the University Centre’s admirable teaching and learning initiatives across our HE provision, and the outcomes our students achieve as they gain their qualifications and move on to meaningful graduate jobs or further study.”

The University Centre includes courses such as top-up degrees, Higher National Certificates/Diplomas, Higher Technical Qualifications, post-graduate certificates, higher professional awards as well as higher and degree apprenticeships.

Skill priority areas such as engineering and construction account for 73 per cent of its higher education offer. And a high percentage of its learners or higher or degree apprentices, meaning that the majority are ‘work ready’ helping to make an immediate impact.

It also has the benefit of local study, with affordable prices and students satisfaction rates that are above national average.

This year it has incorporated the Greater Manchester Institute of Technology, and being the lead partner, students can benefit from prominent national and global employers, alongside the University of Salford, bringing them the very best higher technical education and qualifications.