HIGHER EDUCATION

Background to Sysco Business Skills Academy Ltd

Sysco Business Skills Academy Ltd is a longstanding training and education provider, delivering a wide variety of adult education programmes for a range of organisations. We are an Ofsted Grade 2 provider based in Liverpool, with contracts in place with the Department of Education, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the NHS and the City of Liverpool College.

Our partnership with the City of Liverpool College has seen Sysco deliver Higher Education programmes through a collaborative partnership since 2019. Our initial focus for HE has been in Performing Arts, with students completing Higher National Certificate and Higher National Diploma qualifications at our Performing Arts studios in Liverpool. Since 2024, Sysco HE Performing Arts students have also been able to complete a top up degree at the studios through a partnership established with the University of West London.

In late 2023, Sysco applied to the Office for Students to become registered as a Higher Education provider in its own right. After a rigorous assessment and registration process, Sysco Business Skills Academy Ltd were approved to become a Higher Education provider in the Approved (Fee Cap) category in England in February 2025. This decision has allowed Sysco to widen its Higher Education offering, beginning in September 2025.

Mission & Strategic Curriculum Intent

Sysco’s mission in delivering Higher Education is to develop programmes of vocational excellence allowing students to mature into academically, and practically, skilled young people who aspire to be both ethical and resilient as they progress towards their respective career paths. We have a clear vision to provide skills development through structured learning; offering our students the experiences, skills and values that will prepare them for their futures.

Our curriculum strives to create students who are self-motivated and competent. We are fully committed to providing an educational experience which has clear linkages to both work placement and career pathways linked to their educational specialisms.

A key pillar of Sysco’s purpose for delivering Higher Education is to offer a pathway into Higher Education for students who may not otherwise pursue an academic route at Level 4 and beyond. For this reason, students completing a 16-19 Level 3 Study Programme with our sister company Brighter Futures are an important strategic cohort for Higher Education progression, although places on our HE programmes are not limited to these students.

Higher Education Sport Qualifications

BTEC Level 4 & Level 5 Higher Nationals in Sport

Sysco Business Skills Academy Ltd will start to offer Higher Education programmes in Sport, beginning in the 2025/26 academic year. Through our sister company Brighter Futures, Sysco has a long history of delivering Level 3 BTEC programmes in Sport, and will utilise this expertise and industry experience to deliver a bespoke Higher Education programme in Sport. The programme will involve elements of blended learning, incorporate practical application alongside theoretical study and provide students with a solid understanding of contextual trends in order to eventually progress into the Sports industry. Students will be able to join the Level 4 Higher National Certificate in Sport in September 2025, with the 120 credits achieved as part of this programme being a pre-requisite in order to be able to progress onto the Higher National Diploma in Sport from September 2026.

Students can apply for Sysco’s Higher Education Sport programmes from September 2025 at the link below;

2025-2026 Higher Education Application Form

Higher Education Performing Arts Qualifications

BA (Hons) Performing Arts

From September 2025, students commencing a Higher Education programme in Performing Arts will be registered on the BA (Hons) Performing Arts degree programme, validated by the University of West London. This is a 3-year degree programme, with an emphasis on developing the skills of acting, singing and dancing in equal measure to enable graduates to be versatile and more employable than those who focus on just one discipline.

BA (Hons) Performing Arts Top Up

This programme will be specifically for 3rd year HE Performing Arts students, and will act as a Level 6 top up for students who have completed the Higher National Diploma (HND) in Performing Arts previously with Sysco. The programme will maintain consistency for students as they can remain at our studios to complete their undergraduate studies. The programme will build on the professional training that students receive at Levels 4 and 5 and will introduce a greater academic element.

BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Performing Arts (Musical Theatre)

For the 2025/26 academic year, Sysco Business Skills Academy Ltd will offer the BTEC Level 5 Higher Nation Diploma in Performing Arts for students who have completed the Higher National Certificate in Performing Arts in 2024/25. Entry onto the HND in Performing Arts is dependent on the completion of the 120 credits delivered as part of the HNC programme. This is a pre-requisite for any student looking to complete the Higher National Diploma in Performing Arts, although grades achieved as part of the Higher National Certificate will not count towards the overall grade achieved on the HND. Sysco offers the Musical Theatre pathway for its Higher National Diploma Performing Arts programme.