University launches new foundation degree to help boost skills
The University of Hull is launching a new course on 22 June aimed at those working in the refining, chemical and allied sectors to improve professional development and increase technical skills.
Backed by Cogent, the Sector Skills Council (SSC), the University will welcome students to a new Foundation Degree in Process Engineering Management (FdEng) from September 2011. The course is aimed at operator and maintenance engineers and technicians who are seeking or starting their first supervisory role.
Taught on a part-time basis, the course is expected to take 3 years to complete and will see a mix of theoretical and practical teaching. Learners will be expected to complete work-based assignments, reports and presentations as part of the course. Modules will look at a range of different areas to help develop both technical knowledge as well as management and employment skills.
The course is based on Cogent’s national foundation degree framework specification and meets their Gold Standard for first line supervisor roles in the process industries. The qualification is also designed to meet academic requirements for professional registration as incorporated engineer (IEng) recognised around the world.
The University of Hull developed the FdEng following consultation with ten leading Humberside process industry firms. In the past year the University has invested £1million in its Chemical/Process engineering provision supported by a grant from the Learning and Skills Council. The Department of Engineering was ranked in the UK’s top ten in the recent Guardian league tables.
Dr James Gilbert from the Department of Engineering says: “The launch of the Foundation Degree in Process Engineering Management shows the commitment from the University to raising skill levels and employability in an important industry for the region. The University has excellent facilities and this course will strengthen our position.
“By working with Cogent we have ensured that the course is relevant for companies across the sector and we look forward to further collaborations in the future.”
Joanna Woolf, Cogent CEO, says: “The Process Engineering Management Foundation degree is an excellent initiative that will help to push the boundaries of work-based learning. We are delighted to be working with the University of Hull to nurture talent and develop the skills of the next generation of workers for the process industries.”
“What makes this course unique is that it offers students the opportunity to maximize the workplace as a learning environment, supporting continuous improvement activities and the ability to earn and learn at the same time.”
The Foundation Degree in Process Engineering Management (FdEng) will be launched on Wednesday 22 June at the CATCH facility in Stallingborough, North Lincolnshire.
For media enquiries please contact Richard Madden on 01482 466361, r.madden@hull.ac.uk or 07850 297955
More about Cogent
Cogent is the Sector Skills Council for the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, nuclear, oil and gas, petroleum and polymer industries. It has recently taken on sectoral responsibility for bioscience. It is the voice of employers in these industry sectors and is working with them to design qualifications; attract young people into the Sector and understand their needs through comprehensive research. Cogent currently represents the interests of a sector which employs around 900,000 people in high value jobs and indirectly supports around three times as many.
The world-leading science-based industries in the Cogent footprint have a turnover of £200bn – greater than all government spend on health and education. The industries rely on a constant supply of high level skills, especially in science and engineering, to ensure innovation and growth in energy, advanced process technology and biotechnology.
For more on what we offer go to: www.cogent-ssc.com
About the University of Hull
The University of Hull is an institution with a long heritage of academic excellence and is rich in tradition. Established in 1927 as England’s fourteenth university, it received a Royal Charter in 1954. The University has campuses in Hull and Scarborough.
The University of Hull features some of the most inspirational figures of modern times, and has an illustrious history which includes pioneering developments in science and engineering, health, business, humanities and social sciences as well as performing arts. The University today is a vibrant and future-oriented institution, recognised for excellence in learning and teaching as well as a commitment to research, enterprise and engagement. The University is known for its friendliness and high student satisfaction as well as the employability of its graduates.
The University’s regularly features in the top bracket of national teaching quality league tables and has consistently performed impressively in the National Student Survey, reflecting the high premium the University places on the quality of student experience. Staff and students frequently win prestigious national and international awards and accolades. Hull is currently placed among the top 500 in the QS World University Rankings.
Research and enterprise are core academic activities of the University. Amongst its most well known achievements are the discovery of liquid crystal displays and the bone density scanner which revolutionised the detection of osteoporosis, both of which were featured in Eureka UK's list of ‘100 discoveries and developments in UK universities that have changed the world’. The most recent Research Assessment Exercise revealed that 80% of the University’s submitted research is of international standard in terms of originality, significance and rigour.
For more information visit: www.hull.ac.uk
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