Higher education take up

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According to new data, entry rates into higher education in Cornwall are on the increase.

A series of maps has been produced by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), revealing ‘cold spots’ in degree places and entry rates into university.

And while ‘cold spots’ remain in Cornwall, the picture is improving.

Delivering a presentation at Westminster as part of the launch for the interactive maps, Tessa Counsell, director of HE development at The Cornwall College Group, said:  “These maps give a picture of the take up of higher education in Cornwall, adding much more depth and detail to what we already know.

This information will help us to plan future developments and thanks to the partnership of CUC (Combined Universities in Cornwall) members, we will continue to build on the solid foundations already put in place.”

The map is the first of a series that probe the relationships between higher education, student mobility, employment and undergraduate study participation. HEFCE said that the interactive data can be used by universities to help provide local solutions to gaps in provision.

Counsell added: “There are residual cold spots in Cornwall which will need a sustained effort to address the level of participation, but according to this data there are previous ‘cold spots’ with very strong levels of engagement.”

Since the launch of CUC in 2001, over 4,000 additional student places have been created in Cornwall and over 200 new courses.  This has been achieved thanks to an investment of over £315 million pounds, with funding from European Regional Development and European Social Fund investment, HEFCE, the South West Regional Development Agency and the universities and colleges themselves.

The Combined Universities in Cornwall represents a partnership between five education establishments: The Cornwall College Group, the University of Exeter, Falmouth University, Plymouth University and Truro and Penwith College, along with Cornwall Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, who are CUC associate members.