KESS/ATM PROJECT EVALUATION

Descriptions

The Knowledge Economy Skills Scholarship Project (KESS) and Access To Masters (ATM) are pan-Wales higher-level skills initiatives led by Bangor University and Swansea University respectively, on behalf of 9 other Higher Education Institutions in Wales. It is part match-funded by the Welsh Government’s ESF Convergence programme for West Wales and the Valleys. The KESS supports collaborative research projects (Research Masters and PhD) with external partners based in the Convergence region of Wales (West Wales and the Valleys). KESS runs from May 2009 until August 2015 and will provide 420 PhD and Masters scholarships to participants based in the Convergence region. The project has a total value of £33m with a ESF grant of £22.5m (equivalent to a 65% intervention rate). The ATM support Taught Masters Scholarships specifically tailored to provide high-level skills informed by business and enterprises based in the Convergence region of Wales. The project will provide 1172 scholarships for Masters degree courses within the partner Higher Education Institutes delivering training in the Convergence region over 5½ years.The project partners wish to commission an external evaluator to report on the impact of both of these projects