Teesside University receives over £160k funding to boost higher education courses

Teesside University is to receive a share of a multimillion pound national funding initiative aimed at developing new courses to teach future generations.

Universities and colleges across the country are set to benefit from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Catalyst Fund programme.

In total, £6.1m has been awarded for institutions to develop new and enhanced higher education courses. Working with employers, the projects will help provide the skills needed in the future economy and support the aims of the Industrial Strategy.

HEFCE’s chief executive, Professor Madeleine Atkins, commented: “We were delighted with the quality of proposals received for this funding call and particularly the impressive levels of engagement between higher education and industry.

“This investment represents important support for the government’s Industrial Strategy. The funding will provide new courses and vital skill developments in key industrial sectors across the country, from which students, the workforce and employers all stand to benefit.”

Teesside University will receive upwards of £160k for a project to help grow the bioscience sector. The project will be delivered through the National Horizons Centre (NHC), a new £22m centre for the bioscience sector due to open in Darlington in early 2019.

Named ‘Powering Growth in the Bioscience Sector’, the project will see the university work with employers from bioscience and associated industries to develop both formal and informal learning opportunities, meeting the skills needs of larger companies and enabling bioscience SMEs to scale-up and contribute to regional and national economic growth.

Professor Mark Simpson, pro vice-chancellor of learning and teaching at Teesside University, added: “We are committed to working with employers across all subject areas to ensure our students are equipped with the skills they need to flourish in their chosen sector.

“We are delighted with this successful funding bid and believe the project will generate explicit economic benefits for the Tees Valley and wider North East by addressing recognised skills gaps within the bioscience sector.”

Over 30 universities and colleges are benefiting from HEFCE’s Catalyst Fund programme.

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