The TEC Partnership is delighted to announce it has become the region’s first FE college provider to receive Bachelor Degree Awarding Powers.
This significant achievement means the Ofsted outstanding provider, which offers higher education courses at University Centre Grimsby, Scarborough TEC and East Riding College, will have the ability to validate its own degrees from September 2022.
It is the first college group to receive Bachelor Degree Awarding Powers in the Yorkshire, Humber, Lincolnshire and East Midlands region.
The Partnership offers a wide range of exciting and innovative Foundation Degrees and works with the University of Hull to award full Bachelor Honours, with courses ranging from digital and creative and engineering to healthcare and sport.
This approval means it will now have the opportunity to build upon its existing portfolio to develop degrees that further benefit the regional economy and community.
The new courses will also be designed using the Partnership’s innovative Curriculum 2030 programme, futureproofing the skills learned by students to prepare them for the technological advancements anticipated in their chosen career.
Gill Alton OBE, Chief Executive of the TEC Partnership, said: “I would like to congratulate our staff and students on this brilliant achievement. We are the first college in our region to be awarded Bachelor Degree Awarding Powers for three years, which illustrates how special our team is at the TEC Partnership.
“The ability to award Bachelors Degrees will open up a range of exciting new opportunities that will allow our HE offer to further flourish and thrive. We look forward to working with employers to ensure our courses continue to meet the needs of the local and regional community by developing the skilled workforce they need.
“This incredible achievement has further cemented the TEC Partnership as a leading provider of further and higher education and I am immensely proud.”
Nathan Michael, Group Academic Registrar, also commented: “I am immensely proud of the whole HE team who pulled together to make the awarding of Bachelors Degrees a possibility across the TEC Partnership.
“The ability to validate degrees ourselves enables us to work in partnership with employers to quickly respond to their needs to develop our range of degrees to benefit our communities and our local economy.
“Having worked in education within Grimsby for 14 years I know this development will make a massive difference to the region and it is something we should all be proud of.”
Chair of Governors, Erika Stoddart, said the board is “absolutely delighted” that the TEC Partnership has received provisional awarding powers.
“This will enable our group of colleges to offer more tailored degrees to our students and is a great endorsement of our staff and teaching.”
Professor Becky Huxley-Binns, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Hull, added:
“The provisional award of Bachelor Degree Awarding Powers to the TEC Partnership is a symbol of the power of aspiration and ambition. It signifies excellent teamwork from across the Partnership and is a tremendous achievement.”
