Easton College has teamed up with the UEA to give students a new route to top-notch degree qualifications from September.

Easton College has teamed up with the UEA to give students a new route to top-notch degree qualifications from September.

Students can take one of seven foundation degrees including agricultural management, sports coaching and animal science and welfare. After this two-year course, it will be possible to “top up” to an honours degree with a third year at the nearby UEA.

Other degree level courses, also studied over two years, include ecology and conservation mangement, landscape design management, 3D design and enterprise - all designed with local business needs in mind.

This latest initiative builds on the striking successes, which have been achieved in higher education through its partnership with Anglia Ruskin University (formerly Anglia Polytechnic University).

Easton College, near Norwich, is offering seven foundation degree programmes, a degree level qualification equal to the first two years of a three-year degree course.

Prof Trevor Davies, who is Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research at the UEA, said the first foundation degree, launched in England in 2001, had attracted a total of 4,000 students. By 2005-6 that number had grown to 47,000 with more than half studying part-time and “many more combining study with work.”

Funding was now available for a further 25,000 foundation degree places with more available for 2006/7/8.

“Each course is developed through close working between colleges, universities and employers, and each is designed to respond to local economic and business needs with a curriculum that provides students with a balance between academic understanding and vocational experience gained through placements on work-based learning.

“For the students at Easton, each course will have immediate career relevance within Norfolk and the region,” said Prof Davies. The courses would also widen participation in higher education. Prof Davies said: “Higher education in Norfolk is significantly below the national average at around 25pc of the 18-25 population - compared with a national average of 43pc in 2005.

“This is despite the fact that there is excellent provision at both FE (Further Education) and HE (Higher Education) level in Norfolk. The UEA/Easton partnership will begin to make a real difference to widening participation to HE in Norfolk and this will bring benefits both to the individual and the local economy.”

Easton's principal, David Lawrence, who recently reported that a record number of more than 700 full-time students had completed courses last year, said: “This new and exciting partnership builds on our long tradition of offering support to the land-based industries and enhances our reputation for tailoring our courses to what is relevant to the economy in Norfolk and the rest of the region”.

Contact Easton on 01603 731200 or via easton-college.ac.uk