Independent provider of higher education, UCQ has chosen Birmingham as one of six regional centres to host its newly launched Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA).

UCQ (University Centre Quayside) is one of the first in a new breed of independent higher education institutes being encouraged by Government through the Higher Education and Research Act 2017. In addition to stimulating competition in the sector, the Act is aimed at driving innovation, raising quality standards and aligning higher education more closely with employer needs.

Nick Mapletoft, Principal and CEO of UCQ, said:

“We’re very excited to bring our CMDA to Birmingham. It provides a direct link between higher education and the corporate world and the potential it brings to businesses in, and around Birmingham is significant.”

With a programme duration of up to three years, the UCQ CMDA combines academic rigour and real world business know-how, and can be tailored to an employer’s specific requirements. Furthermore, the entire course cost of £27,000 can be wholly funded utilising payments already being made by businesses to the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy. Employer’s that have exhausted funds in their Levy account, will receive 90% of the cost of any further apprenticeship training they wish to undertake.

Similar flexibility is also afforded to students, who can attend taught sessions at a UCQ regional centre, an employer facility, participate in live webinars, or mix and match according to work commitments. Meanwhile, UCQ provides each student with mentors who will work alongside them and their employer for the duration of the course to ensure the best possible programme is set out.

Stuart Cameron, managing director of UCQ’s commercial operations, added:

“Whilst there is a vast pool of great talent in the managers of UK industry, it is also the case, according to research undertaken by the Chartered Management Institute, that four out of five British managers hold no formal qualifications in management. This under-investment in the development of necessary management skillsets and tools is believed to be one of the key reasons for the UK’s lagging levels of productivity, a major factor behind the introduction of the CMDA.”

“Our intention is to help employers drive business performance and improve results through the development of their existing and prospective managers, and our CMDA course has been developed by specialists who understand the realities of leadership and management thanks to their own extensive industry experience.”

Alex Muir, relationship manager for the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), said:

“The CMI is the only chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards of management and leadership excellence, and we are delighted to be working with UCQ in support of its CMDA across its six regional delivery centres.”

UCQ in Birmingham is located in the Cornwall Buildings, 45 Newhall Street, and its other regional centres are situated in Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle.

To find out more visit www.ucq.ac.uk