FASTRACK TO A FIRST CLASS DEGREE

4 August 2004

FASTRACK TO A FIRST CLASS DEGREE A Skelmersdale man is banking on a new life in academia after achieving a first class BSc honours degree in Information Systems from Edge Hill.

Three years ago Mark Liptrott, 34, decided to juggle his job at Lloyds TSB to take up Fastrack, Edge Hill?s six week access to higher education course. And now, following his degree success, his ambitions are to take a PhD at Edge Hill, researching electronic voting systems.

Prize winning Mark, who picked up the award for Best Final Year Student to come through the Fastrack scheme, decided to follow his degree dream, despite turning down a university place as a school leaver.

Mark said: "I?ve always wanted to do computer science at degree level and was offered a place at university when I was 18. Instead, I decided to take up the offer of a job in a bank. I?m really glad that I took this second chance to do a degree, and I was really surprised and delighted to achieve a first."

Mark chose to take up the Fastrack course at Edge Hill in preference to other access courses that took up to a year to complete.

"I don?t have the A levels now required to enter higher education and the six week course seemed the ideal way to quickly gain the skills needed to take up the degree at Edge Hill. I was also lucky enough to negotiate a term time contract at work, so I was able to work during the summer, Easter and Christmas holidays."

Mark, who is now working for the Co-op Bank, has applied to Edge Hill to join their research department and he hopes eventually to pass on his new-found skills to others, as a university lecturer. ENDS EDITOR?S NOTES: For further press information please contact: Roisin Rowley-Smith PR Manager Tel: 01695 584509 Fax: 01695 584355 E mail: rowlesr@edgehill.ac.uk or pressoffice@edgehill.ac.uk