Opening up the Cambridge learning experience

Caregivers, military veterans, ex-offenders, low income workers, refugees and everyone else: we think higher education is a lifechanging experience that should be available to all, regardless of background. That’s why we offer a growing number of bursaries that provide paid-for tuition to accessible and part-time courses, helping people from all walks of life realise their ambitions.

We spoke to Louisa Trivett, Head of Business Development, and Susan Burnett, Partnerships Coordinator, about the latest bursary programmes giving more people the chance to turn dreams into futures at ICE.

Unlocking new doors for existing learners

"The first is a new partnership with WEA, the Worker’s Education Association,” explains Louisa. WEA are the UK’s largest voluntary sector provider of adult education and their mission – to raise aspirations and develop educational opportunities for the most disadvantaged – is one ICE supports wholeheartedly.

“WEA run a fantastic variety of courses deep in the heart of communities – places like church halls and community centres. There’s a clear demand to engage with learning. But one thing they don’t have at the moment is an obvious pathway to higher education. Through our new partnership, we’re hoping to open up potentially transformative study to two people in our region who are already committed learners but who have never had that chance to go to University and who don’t otherwise have the financial means to access it.”

The idea of studying at Cambridge may be a daunting prospect for some, but it shouldn’t be. “We want to show that the ICE learning community is a welcoming place for everyone, whoever they are, to come and take the next step in their career or personal development,” says Louisa. “The nature of WEA means their tutors can explain the ICE bursaries face-to-face in a very personalised way, which will hopefully remove any fears and encourage learners to start thinking about what might be possible for them.”

Helping hard-working staff achieve their potential with ourcambridge

The second new scheme is a real investment in our own, Cambridge community. University of Cambridge staff do an enormous amount of good, working hard to deliver a great experience for everyone who comes here and helping the University to deliver on its mission to contribute to society. But not everyone who works here has had the chance to benefit from higher education themselves.

“The ourcambridge programme helps to give voice to our large community of support staff,” says Susan. “As part of that, we’re delighted to make six, fully paid bursaries for one-year undergraduate certificate study available to professional services employees right across the University. It’s a real statement of intent and we hope it will inspire colleagues who already know the value of higher education to explore their untapped potential.”

The ourcambridge bursaries are such a good news story for ICE and for the University’s staff that they’ve received high-profile support from the University of Cambridge Vice- Chancellor, Professor Stephen Toope, who took time out to record a video message, encouraging staff to consider the array of possibilities for personal and professional enrichment available to them.

“You could dip into history, philosophy or creative writing, for example, or give your career a boost with a coaching or business qualification, to mention just a few,” says Professor Toope in the video, “[All] within the friendly and inspiring social learning environment that makes ICE so special.”

Learn more

Are you interested in seeing how you might be able to benefit from a bursary for study at ICE, visit: www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursaries

To view the Vice-Chancellor’s ourcambridge video message, visit: www.ice.cam.ac.uk/bursaries-university-staff

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This article was originally published as part of the 2019 Easter term and Long Vacation edition of Inside ICE.