CU Scarborough win £250,000 grant to boost local graduate opportunities

Health and social care students in North Yorkshire are set to benefit from a grant worth almost £250,000 as part of a project to boost graduate outcomes on the North Yorkshire Coast.

CU Scarborough, part of the Coventry University Group, received the funds from the Office for Students (OfS) as part of the OfS Challenge competition to support local graduates. 

The project aims to radically increase the number of local graduates going into the health and social care sector on the North Yorkshire Coast. 

This will be achieved through building an innovative pathway from before application to university, through to successful graduate level employment with key partners including the NHS, NYCC, the CCG and the independent care sector. 

The grant funding will be used to employ four new staff at CU Scarborough including a dedicated Health and Social Care Outreach Officer who will work both with local colleges and hard to reach groups to encourage prospective HE students to consider health related courses and careers. 

Kay Fraser, Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor at CU Scarborough, said:

The project will be delivered over the next three years by a consortium of organisations led by CU Scarborough.

These include: York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, North Yorkshire County Council, NHS and Scarborough and Ryedale CCG, Independent Care Group (York and North Yorkshire), Scarborough VI Form College, Scarborough Tec (Including North Yorkshire Care Academy), Saint Cecilia’s Care Service and Coventry University Students’ Union. 

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of the Office for Students, said the grants were given out to help universities get their graduates into high-quality local employment.