The university has launched a new Institute for Professional and Work-based Learning (IPWBL) – the first step in the delivery of a multi-year vision to support the development and implementation of the university’s skills agenda, of which the university’s successful Degree Apprenticeship provision will be a key part.

The Institute will deliver the newly agreed skills strategy, which sets out a vision for the delivery of skills across the university, enhancing the delivery of the skills agenda by providing oversight, centralised governance, and (in some cases) delivery.

Bringing together the expertise and experience of professional and academic staff involved in skills delivery, the Institute will remove duplication of activity across faculties, ensuring consistency and facilitating the sharing of best practice.

The new skills strategy sets out a clear, ambitious plan for the development of differentiated skills training, backed by the research-led, world-class education for which Nottingham is renowned, signalling the university’s contribution to the local, regional and national skills agenda.

Our skills agenda and creation of the Institute was discussed with Ofsted during the university’s monitoring visit for degree apprenticeships in March 2023, receiving positive feedback. To show progress against the commitments made to Ofsted a phased approach will be taken to the development of the Institute, which will be fully operational by September 2024.

Phase one (current phase) will see the creation of the Institute and the integration of professional staff, currently supporting Degree Apprenticeships, into the new structure.

The senior leadership team for the IPWBL during phase one will consist of:

• Head of Professional and Work-based Learning (Ruth Eccles)
• Academic Director for Degree Apprenticeships (Professor Jonathan Tallant)
• Head of Operations (to be recruited)

This team will be tasked with actioning the new skills strategy, initially concentrating on the university’s degree apprenticeship provision and working to establish centralised governance and procedures for CPD and skills development across the university.