Launch of Corndel College London – a new Institute with degrees designed with industry

Corndel College London (CCL), launched today (20 October 2022) by multi award-winning management and technology training provider Corndel, is on a mission to fill the UK’s skills gaps by bringing education and employers, students and careers, closer together.

CCL launches as a new survey by Opinium for Corndel* reveals that just 18% of 16-25 year olds believe university will give them all the skills they need for the workforce, with 81% planning to work on their professional development outside of work. 

Through aligning degrees with industry demand and innovation, CCL will spearhead a new model of higher education, heralding a transition to a system that works for students and employers.

While other training providers have focused on employability, Corndel is going a huge step further with the launch of CCL by developing all its courses and content based on employer demand and input. 

Through Corndel’s network and rich pool of industry partners including 30% of FTSE100 organisations, CCL will offer Degree Apprenticeships in Business Management and Digital & Technology Solutions with leading employers in Spring 2023. 

Degree apprenticeships allow students to earn while they learn and they are also free for employers due to the Apprenticeship Levy.

The new survey by Opinium also highlights the demand for degree apprenticeships, with 79% of 16-25 year olds thinking that degree apprenticeships and a more direct route to a career will become more popular, particularly in light of the cost of living crisis.

CCL will offer undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from 2024, with the full commitment that degree courses will be designed and driven by employers’ and students’ needs.

CCL will also have an exclusive focus on professional disciplines most in-demand in the workforce, and integrate sought-after skills that will make graduates the most work-ready in the country. 

CCL aims to become a new brand of university which specifically targets national skills gaps and produces graduates in high demand for highly skilled roles.

• CCL has a vision to be the first in a new generation of universities with a focus on filling the UK’s skill gaps.    
• CCL aims to radically shorten the path between course and career through offering several degree pathways, all anchored in Corndel’s industry expertise and network.    
• CCL courses will be grounded in real-world scenarios, combining online learning with one-to-one coaching from experts in relevant fields of industry.    
• CCL’s highly personalised delivery model with built in industry exposure will equip graduates with the skills and knowledge to be irresistibly employable.    

CCL works with over 150 of the UK’s top companies including BP, Aviva, Asda and Legal and General and, by working directly with industry partners, will deliver degrees and apprenticeships that provide students with the skills that are most in demand, and in line with the latest innovations. Its new degree offerings have been fuelled by demand within Corndel’s employer network and shaped by discussions with leading employers such as Bupa, G4S, Allianz and Bp.  

The mission is to fill the UK’s skills gap – and benefit both students, so they are more employable, and employers – who get the right people with the right skills.

Fixing the digital skills gap is a pressing challenge. Over eighty per cent of all jobs advertised in the UK require digital skills, but employers struggle to recruit the talent they need to create growth. Estimates suggest the digital skills gap costs the UK economy as much as £63 billion a year in potential GDP. 

CCL is founded with a firm belief in providing equal opportunity and making higher education accessible for the driven, curious and bright-minded regardless of their background. CCL’s unique student model eliminates geographic barriers and brings its degree offering to every corner of the country. 

James Kelly, CEO of Corndel, said:

“Narrowing skills gaps is the most pressing productivity challenge for the UK and we know that around 80%** of employers feel that graduates are unfit for work when they leave university.”

“Our mission at Corndel, and now CCL, is to create courses so closely aligned to industry that graduates will be among the most employable in the country. 

“We believe all educational courses and programmes must deliver a good return on investment for students and help to support our economy.

“It’s time for higher education to get to work.”

Robert Halfon, MP and Chair of the House of Commons Education Select Committee, said:

“The launch of CCL is an exciting new step forward for education. For too long vocational education has been viewed as the ugly step-sister to the Cinderella of academic learning. But as CCL is showing, this false dichotomy is wrong – skills and academic knowledge must work together hand-in-hand.

“Employers from Harlow to Huddersfield know that skills are vital to the future of industry. The UK currently has a skills gap of over £6 billion, and since 2010, there has been a 65% decline in the uptake of Design and Technology at GCSE. 

“As CCL is doing, by linking businesses with the HE sector to develop the skills-based learning the industrial sector needs, not only can we close our skills gap, but we can give our young people a step up on the ladder of opportunity and ensure they are prepared for their future careers as we enter the fourth industrial revolution.”

Stephen Isherwood, CEO of Institute for Student Employers said:

“At the Institute of Student Employers (ISE), our vision is that every business across the country thrives through full access to student talent, and we bring employers and the education sector together to achieve this.

“Professional training providers like Corndel have played an integral role in meeting the needs of organisations, delivering better outcomes for both students and the employers.

“Building on their foundation as a quality provider of leadership & management and digital development programmes, Corndel will, through the launch of CCL and its degree offering, be able to further support employers in developing in-demand skills from the ground up with their student recruitment and development strategy.”