Celebrating 200 years of education in academic year 2024-25, Manchester Metropolitan University has around 44,000 students and more than 5,100 members of staff (HESA and internal data for 2023/24). Home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Education and Science and Engineering). Manchester Met is one of the largest universities in the UK (HESA enrolment data).
As part of Manchester Met’s commitment to giving graduates the very best start in life, the Rise programme was developed to help students tailor their studies and get involved in a wide range of experiences and micro credentials. This includes Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS), Adobe certified Professional (ACP) and Project Management Institute (PMI Ready) certification which help students learn new skills to help support and shape future careers.
Through the Rise programme, 400 students from the Manchester Met Institute of Sport recently took MOS digital certification in PowerPoint, Word and Excel.
Susan Pinner, Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology and Education for Sustainable Development Faculty STEM Ed. Hub Lead explained:
“At Manchester Met we have a key focus on providing a transformational active learning for our students. Gen Z are the first digitally native students and are avid consumers of technology, however, their digital literacy does not prepare them for the technology required for the working environment.
By providing the Microsoft Office Specialist training we equip our students with professional and transferrable skills to prepare them for their current study, and their ‘Future Me’, be that graduate employment or further study. I’m delighted that over 500 MOS certificates have been awarded to students in the Institute of Sport this academic year. What an achievement to complement 200 years of education!”
Adam Hugill from the Rise programme team added:
“We know that employers are increasingly focussed on digital skills that students often struggle to demonstrate. Our partnership between Prodigy Learning and our Rise Programme allows all students at Manchester Met to gain their certificates giving them vital skills and increased confidence in their digital skills.”
The industry certification programmes offered by Manchester Met Rise are managed in the UK by Prodigy Learning. Andrew Lenehan, Account Manager at Prodigy Learning also commented:
“Having worked with Manchester Met for a number of years I know how much focus the university have on employability. It’s fantastic to see digital skills taken so seriously for students on courses in which digital skills are often overlooked. Having spoken to Sue Pinner, it’s obvious how passionate the team from the Institute of Sport are when it comes to getting the best from students and ensuring they have the very best start in their career. With data so important in today’s competitive sporting world, having advanced Excel skills will put clear blue water between graduates from Manchester Met and their peers when entering the highly competitive graduate jobs market.
It has been a pleasure to see so many students taking MOS certification, determined to take advantage of the opportunities Manchester Met offers.”
For over 200 years, Manchester Met has been changing lives through education. Manchester Met Institute of Sport are pioneers of sport research, cutting through traditional disciplinary boundaries and drawing together the leading minds from across a vast range of research centres, themes and specialisms. The Institute works with elite clubs, national bodies and multinational brands to make a lasting impact and help students turn a passion for sport into a first-class degree.
Prodigy Learning is an award-winning global EdTech business, providing innovative online platforms that empower learners to develop and prove their skills. These solutions range from skills assessments in education through to job-ready digital skills credentials.
