The role of teachers, senior leadership teams and advisors is crucial in supporting students and potential students to access Higher Education. Whether supporting someone by raising attainment, helping them to make informed choices, or by providing practical information and advice, at Go Higher West Yorkshire we have resources which can help.
The information and links below have been compiled to assist you to help support learners’ attainment and aspirations, inform their choices about courses and careers, and guide them through the application process on their journey to Higher Education. This includes the OfS Uni Connect Programme Outreach Hub – helping schools and colleges access the higher education outreach they need.
The journey started in schools, colleges and universities, doesn’t end at graduation.
Exposure to the world of work is key to developing employability skills and securing a job.
That’s why we work collaboratively with employers and industry experts, supporting our partners to equip their students for the changing economy.
Go Higher West Yorkshire: reducing inequalities in access to, success in and progression from Higher Education.
Youth Work Unit Yorkshire and Humber (YWU Y&H) is delivering two youth voice projects on behalf of GHWY.Â
Working with young people who identify as disabled/having a specific learning difficulty and refugee and asylum-seeking young people, it is conducting a youth consultation to explore views on Higher Education (HE). It is also running a social action project, where participants can raise awareness of the value of HE in their communities.Â
The circumstances of these two groups are lesser understood within HE and little pre-existing engagement has taken place. It is hoped that the work will enhance an applied understanding of them and will feed into a collaborative framework approach that GHWY is currently developing to engage with and support young people who identify with certain characteristics under-represented in HE.Â
Early findings from the project found that a number of refugees and asylum seekers felt they should prioritise paid work to give something back to the country that took them in, rather than progression to HE. Some young people regarded HE as a luxury that would only be considered once financial independence had been achieved. Â
Other perceived barriers to HE include confusion over qualifications, language skill concerns, and access uncertainties. The services the young refugees work with do not always regard HE as a priority and may not be able to provide guidance in relation to this.Â
It also found that there are a lot of gatekeepers preventing contact with young people with learning difficulties due to safeguarding concerns. Some young people spoke about their experience of attending (special) school and many voiced concerns about leaving that environment, where support is available. From these early findings, it seems that fear can be a real barrier to young people who identify as disabled or having a specific learning difficulty.Â
A final report into the project and its findings will be published over the Summer.Â
The YWU Y&H is a regional infrastructure organisation that supports the youth sector and provides a strategic lead through the provision of information, advice and practical regional coordination. It coordinates a range of networks for youth sector providers, enabling the development and sharing of good practice and to offer support. Â