Oxbridge founder receives British Citizen Award for Services to Education

Birmingham-based founder and managing director of global online learning provider Oxbridge, Matt Jones, has received a prestigious British Citizen Award (BCA) for Services to Education.

At a Medal presentation at the Palace of Westminster on the 7th July, Jones was one of only 25 individuals to receive the coveted Medal of Honour this year. Established in 2015, the British Citizen Award recognises the efforts of individuals who have worked tirelessly and selflessly to make a large positive impact on society and communities. 

Oxbridge, which last year delivered 3,500+ courses across more than 200 course subjects in 45 countries worldwide, has a proven track record in providing accessible and affordable education that delivers results for its learners. 

The Birmingham-headquartered firm has pioneered the use of AI technology in online learning. One of its innovative initiatives is its ‘ultra-personalised learning’ system, which automatically adapts courses to individual students’ needs. The initiative has led to a 97% A-Level pass rate, with the proportion of learners achieving grades A or A* (69 per cent) higher than the national average for 2021 (44.8 per cent).*

Founder and managing director at Oxbridge, Matt Jones, said:

“As one of the original innovators of distance and online learning, I’ve seen the marketplace continue to grow at pace and the positive impact education has on people’s lives.

“At Oxbridge, we are proud to provide learning opportunities for people in the prison system, job seekers, charities, and many more, and to have seen many of these people gain or regain employment. We truly believe that learning is a lifelong opportunity and, by ensuring courses are both accessible and affordable, we’re removing barriers to adult education.

“We aim to take online learning in a bold direction, continue to innovate with the latest technologies and expand our offerings to become even more accessible. One of our goals is to be able to reduce costs enough to offer formal education in developing countries.”

Committed to making education affordable and accessible to all, Jones donated more than £100,000 of courses to those most in need during the pandemic and has self-funded bursaries. 

He also supports and is an ambassador for several charities, including Acorn’s Children’s Hospice and Incredible Surplus, which prevents food wastage from supermarkets by redistributing it to homeless charities. Jones also mentors through several mentorship programs, including Million Mentors, to provide advice and leadership to those from disadvantaged backgrounds or broken families.

Jones continued:

“I’m absolutely thrilled to have been selected for such a prestigious award. It’s fantastic to see the opportunities provided to people through online learning increasingly recognised.

“I would like to thank our talented team at Oxbridge for their dedication and commitment to making Oxbridge a beacon of quality, continuing our strong track record of delivering innovative learning and excellence in learner support.”

*https://www.statista.com/statistics/282973/a-level-results-in-the-uk/