News

Bobby Burns may only be 21 but he has his mind firmly set on the future.  Currently on downtime with a double leg break sustained back in October, the professional footballer is planning for his future.  Now halfway through an Open University degree, he flexibly balances his studies and his football career, now currently on loan to Glentoran from Barrow AFC.

The Open University, in partnership with the Department for the Economy, is currently offering fully funded places across eight different short courses for those whose employment has been affected by COVID-19. You can find out more here: https://www.open.ac.uk/courses/choose/skill-up

But what is the benefit of completing a short course over a full degree or diploma?

The Open University works closely with a range of exciting businesses and organisations across Northern Ireland to develop opportunities for our students and provide employers with the skills they need to do business productively and efficiently.  We sat down with a few of them to give you an insight from their perspective and give them an opportunity to speak about what they are looking for in students, graduates and employees.

The first in the series is Core Systems Ltd. and their CEO, Patricia O’Hagan MBE.

Fieldfisher, a European law firm with market leading practices in many of the world’s most dynamic sectors, is opening its virtual doors to showcase the work of its Belfast hub and plans for the future.  Students and graduates of the OU are invited to learn more about what the firm does and network with the staff who work there.

If you are an OU student or graduate from the areas of Law, Business and Management, IT, Finance, HR or simillar areas. you are invited to come along and chat to them.

The OU has been shortlisted for University of the Year and Most Innovative Teacher of the Year in the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards 2020.

The judges said that they were “gratified by the huge number of entries at a time when university staff had so many demands on their time” and said:

“This has been a year like no other, and universities have faced unprecedented challenges as a result of the pandemic.”

The Open University is offering a Knowledge Transfer Voucher scheme to SMEs, charities and third sector organisations across Northern Ireland.

Knowledge Transfer Vouchers provide funding of between £5K - £10K for organisations to partner with The Open University to solve challenges faced, identify opportunities for further collaboration and develop lasting partnerships with the University.

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Those with GCSEs or below as their highest prior attainment completing a part-time degree at The Open University in Northern Ireland are estimated to earn an average of £219,000 more in real terms over the rest of their career.

This is according to The economic and social impact of The Open University in 2018-19 report from London Economics, which found that the institution’s open entry policy, allowing students below the usual entry level requirements of traditional universities, offered potentially significant financial benefit over the course of a career.

The Open University’s Director in Ireland, John D’Arcy, has been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 2020 Birthday Honours for his services to Education and the Arts.

John has been The Open University’s National Director for Ireland since 2010, running its Belfast and Dublin offices. He is also a member of the University’s Council and Senate. In recent years, he has also worked as interim Director for The Open University in both Scotland and Wales.

The Open University is pleased to announce the provision of 250 places on a range of online courses for those across Northern Ireland who have been furloughed or made redundant as a result of COVID-19.  Fully funded by the Department for the Economy, the places will provide participants the opportunity to secure a qualification which will enable them to be considered for roles in cybersecurity, business management, technology and environment and more.

The Open University are offering places across several postgraduate level courses including:

Organisations from Northern Ireland are estimated to have spent over £30 million¹ on temporary staffing to bridge skills gaps over the last year, despite 18 per cent making redundancies to cut costs in the wake of COVID-19.

In a further attempt to create quick fixes to the fallout from the pandemic, over half of employers from Northern Ireland (56%) report that their organisation’s survival is dependent on their ability to manage costs, according to The Open University Business Barometer.