New web app allows students and school leavers to look up education options in one place
A new web app that allows students and school leavers to look up further and higher education pathways in one place launches today. The Pathways Web App was developed by the Regional Learner Passport Partnership (RLPP) and supported by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to make pathways that exist across many colleges and universities easier to understand.
The advertising, promotion and understanding of learning options are often complex and difficult for pupils, students and advisers to find and navigate. In recognition of the many institutions and diverse range of courses, the Pathways Web App was established to promote and create efficient and clear routes to Higher Education in and around Edinburgh and the surrounding South-East Scotland area.
The Pathways Web App makes it clear that it is possible to move from college to university with full credit awarded for prior learning and is a distinctive and much admired feature of Scottish post-16 education. Now school leavers and students can look up their college and university options in one single place without contacting numerous institutions.
The web app was put together in response to The Commission on Widening Access (COWA) outlining that education pathways were a way in which people could access higher education to achieve a degree.
Alistair Sambell, chair of the Regional Learner Passport Partnership said,
“Our colleges and universities came together in this innovative partnership with a shared commitment to improving access to higher education for learners across the region. This web based app was developed with strong input from students themselves, in keeping with our guiding principle of putting students at the heart of our actions.”
Karen Watt, CEO of the Scottish Funding Council said,
“Moving from College to University where you get credit for prior learning is an incredibly important part of the Scottish education system. This web app will ensure that regardless of your background and regardless of your start in life, you have an opportunity to have a route to higher education and the opportunity to explore the options that are right for you.”
Notes to Editor
The web app can be found at pathways.ac.uk and will be launching on 21st July. It will be heavily promoted to students in the run-up to and immediately following results day on 4 August, to provide support to students making decisions about their future.
The video for the launch can be found at youtube.com/watch
The Regional Learner Passport Partnership
Articulation pathways exist across many colleges and universities, but the advertising, promotion and understanding of the routes is often complex and difficult for pupils, current or potential students and advisers to find and navigate. In recognition of the multi-institutional and diverse nature of learner journeys, the Regional Learner Passport Partnership (RLPP) was established to promote and create efficient and student-orientated routes to Higher Education in and around Edinburgh and the surrounding South-East Scotland area. The Partnership consists of a number of institutions based in the wider South East area of Scotland as follows:
Universities
Edinburgh Napier University
Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Heriot Watt University
University of Edinburgh
University of Stirling
The Open University in Scotland
University of St Andrews
SRUC
Colleges
Edinburgh College
Fife College
West Lothian College
Newbattle Abbey College
Forth Valley College
Borders College
Other
Scottish Funding Council
