Gain Qualifications And Experience With A Foundation Degree

If you’re interested in getting a university education, but want to train for a specific industry or qualification then foundation degrees might be a viable option for you. Foundation degrees combine academic study with on the job learning. These courses prepare you specifically for work in your chosen field, but also teach you general skills which you can apply in a variety of different jobs.

Foundation degrees are put together by employers, universities and colleges, and cover a very wide range of work-related subjects. Like a traditional degree, they are university level qualifications – but like an apprenticeship they involve a degree of practical work in a bona fide workplace relevant to your course. Also unlike a traditional degree, they offer a degree of flexibility which may be of benefit to change their career or return to the workplace.

A foundation degree is the equivalent of the first two years of an honours degree. After which, if you wish, you can supplement it with another year’s study to top it up to the equivalent of a full honours degree. You have the choice of studying on a full or a part time basis, depending on your circumstances. This means if you want to take your career in a new direction or advance your existing one, you can fit your studies in with your existing job.

There are no hard and fast rules for getting accepted onto a foundation degree course, and even if you don’t have many academic qualifications it might be that your experience in the workplace is enough. Depending on the course and industry, commercial and industrial experience can be more relevant than A levels, as work experience is taken into account.

Major companies like Network Rail, BMW and United Utilities are backing foundation degrees these days. The cost of the course can vary depending on the institution, but in some circumstances help towards course fees is available. Some employers even offer financial support to their employees if they are studying on a work-based learning basis. The same kind of means-tested financial support for higher education students is also available, and you certainly qualify for that.

If you’re thinking about getting ready for joinery apprenticeship but need more information, you can read more about them and the other apprenticeships available at Notgoingtouni.co.uk. You’ll also find more info and advice about foundation degrees, gap years, voluntary work and sponsored degrees, as well as more than 300 distance learning videos.