Current and prospective Eastleigh College students attended an event at the University of Portsmouth to launch the introduction of a range of Higher Education courses which the College will run as part of its strategic partnership with the UK Top 25 University.

The collaboration between the College and university has been long established. The partnership originated with Teacher Training which has successfully trained hundreds of teachers and is rated Outstanding by Ofsted.

This will now be expanded into a range of Level 4 and Level 5 qualifications and apprenticeships including Computing, Creative Media/Video Games Development, Construction, Engineering and Counselling.

University of Portsmouth’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Graham Galbraith, explained: "Today's event represents the culmination of lots of hard work between both organisations in devising an innovative curriculum that provides high quality, higher education programmes for Eastleigh College students, with excellent progression opportunities into university or employment.

“The partnership brings together two highly successful education providers in the Solent region that support the development of HE in FE settings. We are proud to formally mark our collaboration by the signing of an agreement aimed at establishing and deepening a strong and meaningful partnership that supports the communities we serve."  

Eastleigh College Chief Executive and Principal, Dr Jan Edrich, added: “Our strategic partnership with the University of Portsmouth has already reaped benefits for many of our HE students who undoubtedly gained an advantage with access to the excellent facilities and resources at the university – both physical and online.

“The university has an excellent pedigree in supporting graduates into employment and further study, and we chose them to support our HE provision as they are a leading university for student outcomes and rated in the top 10 UK universities for income potential.”

One of the students attending the event was 41-year-old Kathryn Hamlyn, who is studying for a Diploma in Counselling.

Previously a project administrator, Kathryn decided to change to a career in counselling after experiencing the debilitating effects after she became ill with fibromyalgia four years ago. Although she lives in Fareham, she chose Eastleigh College’s DipHE Counselling course as she was keen to focus on the humanistic as opposed to purely psychodynamic aspect of counselling, and is delighted with the new partnership.

She explains: “We’ll still be taught at Eastleigh College by the tutors who are amazing, brilliant. I’m being really well supported, but am looking forward to being able to use Portsmouth University’s library as well as their online resources.

“I’m ambitious to qualify beyond the diploma, and the link with the university means there will be a seamless and natural progression if I decide to continue to study for a degree.”

The University of Portsmouth is ranked 21 nationally and the highest in the southern region (Guardian University Guide 2020), and holds TEF Gold for the quality of teaching.

The event was held for Eastleigh College students currently studying HE qualifications as well as those who have applied to study from this September. For further information contact the college or join us at our open evening from 5pm on Wednesday 12 June.