NCUK is working in partnership with Kirklees College in Yorkshire to provide a programme that will prepare international students for careers in the creative industries sector. The NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY) in Design has been developed in collaboration with leading academics in the field and will be delivered at the Wheelwright Centre, the former Batley College of Art and Design.

Students who successfully complete the one-year pathway programme will have access to world-class art and design related degree courses offered by NCUK’s owner universities. From Architecture to Fashion Design and Computer Animation, there is a wide range of innovative and exciting courses to choose from. Kirklees College has a long track record of delivering design education and helping students to develop the creative skills that they can use in the workplace. Many Kirklees graduates have gone on to outstanding careers, working for internationally recognised design houses and agencies, becoming highly successful entrepreneurs or acclaimed artists.

Annette Rhodes, Head of International Affairs at Kirklees College said “We are really excited about welcoming our first group of NCUK IFY Design students in September 2010. Our students will work intensively on developing their portfolios, creative and technical skills as well as improving their English Language ready to make their next move onto university within their chosen creative field.

Kirklees College is the only institution offering the NCUK IFY Design programme and we are both honoured and delighted to make this a reality for students, staff and partners internationally.”

For more information on the Design IFY, visit the design page @ www.ncuk.ac.uk/design