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Trinity Saint David is highly commended at the prestigious Universities Association for Lifelong Learning awards at Clare College, Cambridge

05.04.2012

The University’s collaborative project on APEL (Accreditation of Prior and Experiential Learning) for Murco Oil Refinery Process Operators has been awarded a highly commended certificate and runner up prize in the UALL 2012 awards scheme.

Dr Liz Wilson and Dr Elsie Reynolds, from the University, and Mr David Smith from Murco, received their award at the UALL Conference held at Clare College in the University of Cambridge. The awards, open to all universities in the UK, recognise and celebrate projects, programmes and practices that promote lifelong learning in the higher education sector. The scheme runs annually and entries are assessed on the criteria of creativity, innovation, sustainability, impact and transferability.

APEL for Oil Refinery Process Operators is a collaborative project between the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Pembrokeshire College and Murco Petroleum Ltd. It aims to accredit the experiential learning for a specific group of Murco employees who have not previously had access to Higher Education qualifications and to encourage them to process further in their careers. No less than six months after the first meeting with the refinery, twenty-three employees from Murco have successfully gained credit for their work-based training and now have 60 level 4 credits to put towards a Foundation Degree in their own vocational field. Their ages range from 29 to 53.

David Smith, Murco’s Support Services Manager at Milford Haven Refinery commented:

“It is very valuable to us that our in-house training has been acknowledged in this way. We have worked together to find an accredited progression route for our process operators. We found that there was an understanding of our needs from an institution here in our own community. We are delighted to have won the award and look forward to further developments with other groups of staff.”

Dr Liz Wilson, Associate Professor for Work-based Learning at the University concluded:

“This initiative has demonstrated what can be achieved for the benefit of learners through the collaboration of employers with further and higher education institutions. We found we had shared values and beliefs in the importance of widening access, accrediting prior learning and high quality work-based learning to meet the needs of local industry.”

Photo: left to right Dr Susan Oosthuizen from the University of Cambridge who presented the award, Dr Liz Wilson, Mr David Smith, Dr Elsie Reynolds

Note to Editor

The Univeristy is currently running an ESF funded programme to accredit the prior learning of employees towards nationally recognised higher education qualifications which is free to eligible businesses. The programme is managed by Dr Elsie Reynolds and more information about this programme may be found on http://www.trinitysaintdavid.ac.uk/en/lateral/ or contact the Project Officer, Laura Stafford, at l.stafford@tsd.ac.uk .
UWALL acts as a consultative body for policy formulation and advocacy, representing the sector to government departments, funding bodies and national higher education organisations across the four nations of the United Kingdom. It provides a forum for the active exchange of ideas and good practice and undertakes research. Members represent all aspects of the sector, within and beyond universities, both in the UK and internationally, from senior managers to practitioners, and with interests ranging from public and employer engagement to lifelong learning.

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