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College Coaching and Fitness Degree gets Certified by University of Exeter

Exeter College is excited to announce that for 2023-24 the Foundation Degree (FdSc) in Coaching and Fitness (for 18+ students) is now certificated by the University of Exeter. The University is the new validating partner for the Foundation Degree which formalises the progression route for graduates from the FdSc into year two of the BSc Exercise and Sport Sciences programme at the University of Exeter.

The Foundation Degree is a two-year programme with a progression option into year two of the Exercise and Sports Science course at the University. Studying on this course will allow individuals the opportunity to study at the College and to train and compete in British University and Colleges Sport (BUCS) competitions for the University of Exeter. This is an invaluable opportunity for those aspiring players looking for a Higher Education qualification whilst exploring playing opportunities with the University of Exeter and Exeter Chiefs.

The College’s strong links with professional sports clubs (Exeter Chiefs RFC and Exeter City FC), educational organisations (Ted Wragg Trust), and sports development organisations (Active Devon and Exeter College Sports Development), provide numerous opportunities to develop students’ applied experience in a ‘real world’ context.

Rob Bosworth, Deputy CEO and Vice Principal at Exeter College said;

“We are extremely proud of our partnership with the University of Exeter and Exeter Chiefs. We have worked together to create seamless world-class career paths for our students. This will also enable us to retain and attract high-quality male and female rugby players in the local area.”

The extensive onsite facilities at Exeter College and proximity to the University of Exeter allows for collaborative thinking and sharing of resources where needed and opens up lots of opportunities for the Exeter College based students to access sports teams and other enrichment opportunities for a real university feel.

Alison Davidson, Director of Sport for the University of Exeter said;

“We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Exeter College to support talented athletes with their academic pathway into the University, through this new foundation degree. We are already seeing the benefits of those students joining our performance squads.”

Dr Matthew Campbell, Academic Programme Liaison for the University of Exeter on the new partnership added;

“We are thrilled to further enhance our relationship with Exeter College to now provide this exciting opportunity for students in our region. Our strengthened partnership not only allows us to contribute to the growth and development of a clear educational pathway but also enables us to make a positive impact in the local community due to the links nurtured by both the College and ourselves. By fostering academic and athletic excellence, we are collectively enhancing the prospects and aspirations of the students while enriching the area’s sports and fitness landscape.”

This course also has Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) status which means it has been aligned to national occupational standards for sports coach, high performance coach and community coach, providing hands on practical coaching skills as well as academic learning.

Lucinda Sanders, Director of Higher Education and Adult Learning at Exeter College said;

“We are delighted to be able to offer more opportunities to study higher level coaching and fitness provision in Exeter with this Higher Technical Qualification. Our partnership with the University of Exeter has worked fantastically here, collaborating to be responsive to a local skills need for our key employer partners in the sport and fitness sector.”

It is expected that Exeter College students could make a significant contribution to the university’s High-Performance Sports Teams in the BUCS competitions with a clear and established pathway existing with the rugby teams. At least nine Exeter College alumni students represented the university in the men’s and women’s BUCS Rugby Final in the 22/23 season.

There are numerous benefits to students enrolled on the programme. They will have dual registration between the College and university, meaning they will be able to join their sports teams, access resources, and use the sports facilities.

For successful students, there will be the exciting opportunity for students to progress to the second year of the Exercise and Sports Science course at the University.

Find out more about the Foundation Degree in Science (FdSc) in Coaching and Fitness.

Apprenticeship Case Study: Somerset Council

Apprenticeships at Exeter College

An Apprenticeship is for people of all ages, 16+, to help kick-start a career in a job that suits their skills and interests, to facilitate a career change, or for people who would like to progress in their current role. With Apprenticeships now in a wide variety of sectors and roles, and at different levels, there is a programme with Exeter College for you.

Somerset Council

At Somerset Council, Catherine Temple is a Business Intelligence Analyst. They said;

“We value having apprentices in the workplace and we want to encourage both the recruitment of apprentices and upskilling of current employees wherever possible and since 2020, Somerset Council has supported 474 apprentices through various qualifications with a mixture of recruited apprentices and upskilled staff.

“Apprenticeships are becoming more of a viable option in the workplace due to the increasing variety of courses available. We are now able to support employees across all educational apprenticeship stages, GCSE to Master’s Degree equivalent qualifications.” 

Read Catherine’s story below…

I started the 2 year, Level 4 Data Analytics Apprenticeship last September at Exeter College. Our class has members from Somerset Council, Devon County Council, South West Water, and various private sector companies.

The course consists of 20% “off the job” training, in the main this is one day per week at college, during college holidays we work on our portfolios and projects. I am extremely fortunate to have a supportive and understanding manager who has been invaluable at finding opportunities for me to put into practice what I am learning.

I have learnt an enormous amount since beginning my apprenticeship and it has really helped me in my day-to-day work. The friends I have made at college and our brilliant lecturer have helped me at times where I have struggled, in particular with coding which I had never done before! I have relished the learning experience, especially learning the latest analytical techniques and where best to use them. In addition, I am enjoying designing and delivering the presentations which are preparing us for the end point assessments with external assessors.

In May, I was honoured to be asked to present to the alumni at Exeter College’s digital summit. I talked about the apprenticeship, the highs, and lows, how it has helped me, how I have used what I have learnt, and what I will do next with the knowledge and experience. I received incredibly positive feedback from the attendees who said it was nice to see someone so enthusiastic and open to sharing their experience.

Learn more about Apprenticeships at our next Open Event.

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