A new Web App – backed by Forth Valley College - that allows students and school leavers to look up further and higher education pathways in one place has been launched.
FVC is one of six colleges and eight universities across Scotland supporting the Pathways Web App www.pathways.ac.uk, which 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.”
Helen Young, FVC’s Head of Learning and Quality, said: “We are delighted to be backing this new Web App and believe it will be a very useful tool for school leavers and new students to work out exactly what their future studying route will be. We are confident it will be a great success.”