January 27, 2021 11.48 am This story is over 37 months old

Jobs at risk as Lincoln International Study Centre closing

It is run by Study Group

Study Group’s International Study Centre at the University of Lincoln will close this summer, with formal redundancy proceedings understood to have begun.

Study Group is an external provider who specialises in pre-degree and pre-masters programmes to support students coming to the UK to study.

Brighton-based Study Group, has been in partnership with the university since 2010, but the contract is ending and is not being renewed so the centre will close on August 31, 2021.

The option was given by the university, who are working on offering alternative provision, to go through a tendering process and this was not taken up by Study Group.

It is understood that formal redundancy proceedings will affect around 15 to 20 Study Group employees.

However, Study Group did not provide an answer when questioned about the number of employees or the redundancy process. Instead, it said it is working with staff directly to discuss their roles and next steps.

The centre currently teaches the international year one programmes in business and management, engineering, computer science and media. There is also teaching for international foundation years.

The closure will mean the Lincoln ISC’s last student intake was in January 2021 and any due to start in September will be offered alternative provision.

The Lincoln centre will close only once current students have completed their pathway programme by August 31.

A spokesperson for Study Group said: “We appreciate that this news may be unsettling to our current cohort of international students studying at the Lincoln ISC.

“However, we would like to take this opportunity to emphasise that this news will have no impact on current students studying at the Lincoln ISC.

“We will continue to deliver our pathway programmes at the Lincoln ISC in the same way, supporting current students to achieve their education goals and progress to the university programme of their choice at the University of Lincoln.

“Study Group is working with staff directly to discuss their roles and next steps considering the Lincoln ISC closure. We would like to thank our staff for their exceptional commitment and unwavering professionalism and support at this time.”

A University of Lincoln spokesperson said: “The university is planning to develop its own internal suite of preparatory programmes to enable it to be more flexible to the needs of international students and to manage the quality of teaching and learning.”