Aston University offer business vouchers
Thursday, 16 April 2009
Aston University in Birmingham will help business in the area by issuing them with vouchers which will help them receive academic support.
The university has received £1 million in government finance from the Higher Education Funding Council for England's (HEFCE's) Economic Challenge Investment Fund, with part of the investment being earmarked for the innovation gift vouchers scheme.
Under the initiative, small and medium-sized businesses in the West Midlands can apply for a £3,000 voucher to redeem for support from any university based in the region.
The new funding will allow the Index Scheme to be expanded to allow a further 104 innovation vouchers to be awarded.
Dr Phil Extance, pro vice chancellor for business partnerships and knowledge transfer at Aston University, commented:"Creating a further 104 Innovation Vouchers is excellent news as the previous round of vouchers, awarded under the INDEX project, was nearly three times oversubscribed."
The funding will also be used to create an extra 150 student placements to regional businesses through the Graduate Advantage Scheme.
In addition, the University of Hull received a £1 million investment from the HEFCE, which will be partly used to help unemployed people receive vouchers to take up short courses.
