Progress to Excellence Ltd offers alternative route into rewarding nursing and midwifery careers

MORE doors to challenging and rewarding careers in healthcare are being opened by Progress to Excellence Ltd with the expansion of its fast-track routes for adults into further education.

Its newly launched Access to Higher Education (HE) Nursing and Midwifery course offers an alternative route to training for those aged 19-plus who want a career in these particular fields but didn’t have the right qualifications to access the courses at university.

The course adds to the Progress to Excellence Ltd growing portfolio of qualifications in health and social care.

Damian Burdin, Chief Executive at Progress to Excellence Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be able to offer a selection of Access to HE qualifications which give individuals the opportunity to follow their dreams of training to become the likes of a nurse or midwife, FE teacher or health service manager. 

“Just because someone didn’t get the exam grades at school that they needed to go to university doesn’t mean they can’t get there.”

Damian also pointed out that, importantly, the Access to HE Diploma had been highlighted by the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), the UK’s quality body for higher education, as a means of promoting social mobility.

He said: “This qualification has been proven to provide a route for adults from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education as well as becoming a pathway to enhance UK productivity by helping prepare people for employment when they graduate. This has been especially so in sectors with skills shortages.”

Access to HE courses also remove another common obstacle facing many students – that of costs – as they are funded via an Adult Learner Loan which is wiped off if the student progresses on to, and achieves, their qualification at university. Household income isn’t taken into account when applying for an Adult Learner Loan, there’s no credit check and no upper age limit.

Last year, 24,895 students with an Access to HE Diploma started a degree or other higher education programme in England and Wales – up from 24,180 the previous year.

QAA statistics show that 87 per cent of students with an Access to HE Diploma were aged 21 or over, compared with 34 per cent of students with other qualifications. 

Damian added: “The Access to HE courses all require a high level of commitment from students as the course is designed to bridge the gap and get them ready for university. “However a big advantage of these courses is their delivery model as they are all delivered online, meaning studies can be completed at times to suit every individual and to fit in with work and family life.”

Progress to Excellence Ltd is offering the following Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma courses:

Access to HE – Health and Social Care

Entry requirements to study are a GCSE 4/D or above in English and maths.

This route is ideal if looking to gain a job in roles such as community worker, further education teacher, health promotion specialist, health service manager or as an adult nurse.

Access to HE – Nursing and Midwifery

Entry requirements to study are five GCSEs including GCSE Science, English and Maths at grade C (4) or above.

This route is suitable for those looking to move into a midwife or nursing role.