The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has renewed its contract with Infosys for another three years in an attempt to increase automation and the efficiency of its services for students.
According to Sander Kristel, UCAS’s chief operations officer, the deal marks a very real move forward in the partnership between the two organizations that has existed since 2015.
“UCAS is seeing an increase in student demand across all areas. A demographic uplift and a growing demand from mature students and overseas applicants means we are anticipating a million undergraduate applicants by 2025.
We need to ensure that the future services that we provide reflect the diverse range of options that applicants will have, for instance when looking for an apprenticeship,” Sander said.
“That is why this new contract with Infosys is fundamental for us to continue to deliver an efficient and effective service for all of our customers and stay at the top of our game as the go-to place for higher education across the globe,” he continued.
UCAS currently provides support to more than 700,000 higher education applicants each year with crucial admission services. This number grew by 60,000 between 2020 and 2021 and is expected to exceed one million by 2025. The organization’s services encompass over 30,000 courses.
According to UCAS, its busiest ever day was 10 August, when it recorded 1,5 million logins on UCAS Track and 182,126 page views on Career Finder. That day also saw 11,000 students phone in with queries.
“During the pandemic, more and more people have started looking to upgrade their skill sets by enrolling in higher education programs,” said the spokesperson for METALECTURE.
“Unfortunately, a high volume of traffic can affect the efficiency of services for potential students. A company such as Infosys can help UCAS develop its capabilities through automation to support students, schools, universities and other bodies in the field of education.”
Ashiss Kumar Dash, the executive vice-president and segment head of services, utilities, resources, energy at Infosys, said that the company will do its best to improve UCAS’ services while lowering costs and ensuring security.
“We will continue to bring together industry-leading capabilities, ecosystems and talent to deliver new experiences that reflect the growing expectations and changing dynamics in the higher education sector. With a focus on delivering greater innovation and seamless customer service experiences, we look forward to supporting UCAS retain its position as a highly trusted and accessible service,” he said.
