The event is taking place at the Science Centre on the Leek Road next Wednesday 25th August from 4.30pm – 6.30pm and provides an opportunity for people to find out more about the types of courses on offer and the support available to help older learners with caring or parental responsibilities.
Executive Director of Marketing, Recruitment and Communications, Andrea Caulfield-Smith said: “We recognise that the pandemic and the lifting of furlough has put more people at risk of redundancy and there may be many more people applying for fewer jobs.
“This is a great time for people to upskill and prepare for the jobs of the future and we want to reassure prospective students looking to start this September that we do still have limited spaces across a wide range of courses.”
Clearing has been underway at the University for a number of weeks and is an opportunity for anyone who hasn’t secured a place at University to do so.
The Open House event, which can be booked on Eventbrite, will include opportunities to talk to students and academics about the courses on offer, as well as understanding what financial and wraparound support is available.
There is also the opportunity to find out more about the University’s flagship Step Up to Higher Education course which is studied part-time over 10 weeks and is perfect for students who want to return to education and develop the academic skills needed for university.
Many learners who have completed the course progress on to foundation or full degrees. One of them Nesta Shingler, 23, from Clayton is now studying for a BSc in Engineering Design and working as a Student Communications Ambassador. He said: “Before uni I tried college a few times and worked jobs in between. Clearing was a great entry to university for me. My course leader was welcoming and I feel like my potential was perceived by academics better than I knew I was capable of.”
Andrea added: “We know that many people are unsure about what Clearing is, how the process works and how it can help to open up future opportunities. Here at Staffordshire, we welcome applications from students with a wide variety of qualifications, skills and experiences. In fact, we take pride in attracting students from diverse backgrounds and with non-traditional qualifications and we look at a variety of factors when making a decision, not just grades.”
“We can't wait for our students to experience everything our campuses have to offer - and we are planning for all our facilities including library, Sports Centre and our Students’ Union facilities, including shops and eateries, to be fully open from September.”
Meanwhile, anyone who wants to know if they are eligible for an offer through Clearing can use our online offer generator, have a ‘live chat’ with our Clearing experts at www.staffs.ac.uk/clearing or call our Clearing hotline on 0800 590 830.