UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 10 MAY
Birmingham City University’s (BCU) ability to ‘meet the needs of local and national employers’ has been recognised by Ofsted with a ‘Good’ rating for its degree apprenticeship provision.
After a visit to BCU’s City South campus in Edgbaston in March 2024, Ofsted commended the University’s responsive approach to developing its curriculum.
Specific praise was given to teaching that explained the relationship between the design of buildings and the risk of fire, developed in the aftermath of the Grenfell fire tragedy.
BCU was also praised for its close working relationships with employers, ensuring apprentices benefit from a clear link between on- and off-the-job training.
BCU’s nursing associate apprenticeship was cited as a good example of students being given practical training, both swiftly improving nursing techniques and preparing them to apply those skills in the workplace.
Other areas of high regard included the effective arrangements for safeguarding apprentices, and the impact high-quality training has on apprentices gaining new knowledge, skills and behaviours.
Credit was also given to BCU’s Skills Bootcamps, in which Ofsted felt students benefit from a clear notion of what to expect from their study.
Students also gain access to expert lecturers and visiting speakers, and have the opportunity to design and solve their own professional challenges.
BCU Vice-Chancellor Professor David Mba said: “For any academic institution, an Ofsted inspection is an enormous undertaking, requiring cross-team collaboration, responsiveness and resilience.
“A ‘Good’ rating is well-earned and the comments received from Ofsted act as an endorsement of the ethos that drives BCU - we offer practice-based learning that has a demonstrable impact on the communities around us.
"It’s also gratifying to hear how valued we are by employers in both the public and private sectors, and testament to the hard work we place in cultivating these relationships.
“I thank all those involved – for the excellent work that underpins our degree apprenticeship offer, and for the cooperation and professionalism displayed throughout the inspection.”
BCU is a large provider of higher education and training in Birmingham, with two substantial sites in the city centre and Edgbaston.
Its curriculum includes a wide range of apprenticeships from level 3 to level 7. Nearly all apprentices study at levels 5 to 7. BCU has more than 1,400 apprentices, offering 19 different apprenticeship standards, and works with more than 400 employers.