Higher Skills Learners – Enrolments (Updated In-Year)

The chart shows a slight decrease in learners undertaking full higher level education programmes with the College so far in 2024-25. However we expect annual figures to be broadly similar. We will continue to offer and expand our traditional higher education opportunities for local people, most notably through collaboration with university partners who deliver from our sites, where there is local demand for these skills.

Higher Skills Learners – Enrolments (2023-24 Year-End Data)

Engagement and participation rates

Learner engagement trend analysis

The college considers higher skills learners as:

1. HNC/D students – those studying dedicated HE programmes on a full or part time basis.

2. Classroom based Level 4+ students – adults studying FE provision that is Level 4 or higher – including professional programmes such as Teacher Training.

3. Higher Apprenticeships- those studying a Level 4 and above through an Apprenticeship programme.

In 2023/24 we had 367 students undertaking higher level learning through classroom based and HNC/D programmes. The mix and balance of numbers on provision types has changed as we have seen a decline in the numbers on the traditional stand-alone HNC/D programmes; however a steady state number of class-based level 4 and above provision. We have continued the use of West Midlands Combined Authority flexibilities to introduce new courses to add to the suite of our higher-level curriculum offer.

Higher Apprenticeship recruitment has seen a marginal reduction to 271 compared to the previous year to 288 in 2022/23. These students continue to be a strategic priority for the college, and we have plans to further expand our HE Apprenticeship offer, particularly through the ongoing work of the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology and higher education partners.

Travel to Learn Map

The map shows the travel to learn pattern of our Higher Education students in 2022-23. The majority of students continue to be from Dudley Borough and the wider Black Country area. Increasingly students are looking to remain in locally to study rather than travel elsewhere.

However, it also shows that the college is attracting higher level students from across the wider West Midlands, and we expect that to broaden as the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology continues to establish itself and as we participate in the Aspire to HE project. We are pleased to see that, as we strengthen our higher-level offer and build our reputation for quality delivery of learning and skills, we are able to draw students from farther afield, with the Institute of Technology giving us a national reach in some sectors.