The collaboration between the University of Cumbria and Furness College is known as the Barrow Learning Quarter. The academy and the wider Barrow Learning Quarter aim to improve higher education participation in the area, which has consistently lagged behind the national average. The goal is to increase progression from further education into higher education, raise aspirations, and create more equitable access to opportunity. "This exciting partnership strengthens those progression routes by closely aligning further education, higher education and local employers’ skills needs. The university says the Barrow Learning Quarter represents an investment in the people, economy, and future of the Furness region.