A MAJORITY of students who have enrolled for the UK's first degree course in "social change" come from black and minority ethnic backgrounds (BAME), it was reported on Thursday (26).
Around 80 per cent of the students enrolled in the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship are from BAME backgrounds and they will be taught accounting, law and ethics with modules on how to start an organisation and using social media, the Queen Mary University of London said.
Vice-Principal Dr Phillipa Lloyd said: “You have generations growing up now, the Greta Thunbergs of this world who want to take action to make the world a better place. They want to make a social impact as well as an economic impact. That is what this is tapping into.”
The course received interest from more than 500 applicants, and 13 were selected four the four-year programme. Charities signed up to take on the degree apprentices include WaterAid, Alzheimer’s Society, Action for Children, Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM) and the Scouts.
“My area is quite rough,” Adarsh Ramchurn, from Ilford, was quoted as saying. “There’s knife crime and youth violence and that’s something I don’t want to escalate. The fact I know we are changing lives and wanting to make a positive impact in society [is important to me].”
Shania Thomas, 19, from Chiswick said: “Coming from a disadvantaged background I think about how I can help other people and be a role model. This degree will help us find out how to do something about [the problems we see]. Being a role model in the BAME community has partly motivated me to do this.”
Apprentices will have two days of study each week and the rest is work with the host charity.
Sarah Pochin (Photo: UK Parliament)
