Universities and colleges announced for £2m short HE courses

The winners of a £2 million tender to deliver new short higher education courses have been announced by the Department for Education.

Weston College is the sole FE provider to be handed a contract for the Higher Education Short Course trial, with the remaining 20 places taken by universities.

It is hoped the courses will help people fit training to plug local skills gaps around their other commitments.

A tender, run by the Office for Students, was announced in August and ran until the end of September. Results were originally meant to be announced in November.

As the next step in the government’s lifelong loan entitlement, students will be able to access “flexible” financing for these courses.

The DfE hopes to use these courses to trial the entitlement, due to rollout in 2025 from which time it will be available for learners to fund the equivalent of four years of post-18 education.

Delivery of the courses, between levels 4 and 6, is set to start next September.

Subjects covered include STEM, healthcare, digital innovation, education and supporting net zero.

Providers which won a slot to deliver the courses had to demonstrate how the provision will benefit learners and the value it will have for employers.

Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi said today the courses “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”.