University of Huddersfield Institutional Collection Education has been at the heart of Huddersfield for over 150 years. In the 1840s a few local businessmen with an interest in charitable works provided funding for the working classes of the town to top up their education through the Young Men’s Mental Improvement Society and the Female Educational Institute. Educational reforms toward the end of the 19th century led to both institutions merging to form a Mechanics’ Institute. Whilst locals initially subscribed as members of the Institute, legal changes to education in the late 19th century changed the aim of gaining a classical and theoretical education to what might be recognised as a further education or practical one. The Technical College, as it became in 1896, taught students in a variety of environments (full time, part time and evenings) much more vocational subjects, like secretarial skills, cookery, textile dying and weaving and engineering, which had endless applications in local industry. Students were initially entered for City & Guilds qualifications, as the Technical College was unable to able to confer degrees. The strong vocational element to the subjects offered reflected the industrial success of Britain in the early-20th century, and as the decline of the post-war period occurred the institution turned back toward a more academic outlook, becoming a Polytechnic in 1970 and a University in 1992. In the years since Huddersfield gained University status, it has become well regarded in higher education for its strong links with enterprise and industry, giving students practical work experience no matter what subject they are studying. What might be viewed as a practical step in the current economic climate, we can actually see is simply a case of us returning to our roots.
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