Lakes College is set to expand its offer of adult-oriented Higher Education (HE) programmes by working in partnership with The Open University.

The college, based in Lillyhall, Workington, has been receiving specialist support from The Open University to expand their range of technical programmes from early 2024, aiding with delivery of advanced skills.

Chris Nattress, principal at Lakes College, said: “We are proud to be working in partnership with The Open University to expand and improve advanced technical skills education in Cumbria.

“At Lakes College we believe having access to a wide range of higher education opportunities on your doorstep is vital to delivering the skilled workforce needed across a huge variety of sectors including science, digital, low carbon energy, nuclear and engineering.

“Being invited to work alongside The Open University will enable us to build on our current higher education offering with specialist support. This will hopefully mean that more people in our area can secure better jobs and meet the skills needs of our region.”

New programmes which are planned and subject to validation, in the new year include Foundation Degrees in Low Carbon Energy Technology and Manufacturing for Nuclear, Digital Technologies, and Leadership and Management.

Paul Fairclough, Dean of Higher Education at Lakes College, added: “We are delighted to be working with such a prestigious organisation as The Open University.

“This relationship also supports our move towards innovative blended delivery approaches including virtual and augmented reality accessed from home or the workplace.”

Professor Tim Blackman, Vice-Chancellor of The Open University, said: “Advanced skills training is vital to create thriving local economies, attracting new businesses, and helping others grow.

“Funding from the UK Government has enabled the OU to work with further education colleges to develop their technical higher education offering in their local communities.

“We are delighted to welcome the new colleges into the fold.”