Head of GHWY reflects on upcoming activities in 2023-24
The new academic year has started with a bang for Go Higher West Yorkshire (GHWY) as well as our 13 member institutions. It’s been great to catch up with colleagues after the summer break.
The start of a new term feels like a good point to provide a reminder of GHWY’s work streams. Our core activity focuses largely on the networks of HE staff that we convene across our member institutions, focusing on key issues and delivering collaborative outputs that support HE staff and look to make HE experiences more equitable for students once they are in our institutions.
Our Uni Connect project undertakes the partnership’s engagement with local schools and colleges, delivering the bulk of our collaborative outreach provision alongside the partnership’s attainment-raising programme with schools. Grad Skills is the offer seeking to reduce inequalities in progression to graduate-level employment at the end of studies.
Coming up in 2023/24, we are very pleased that three of our member institutions have offered to deliver webinars to support all members participating in Wave 2 Access and Participation Plans (APPs) under the new process. Those who have participated in discussions with APP Wave 1 participants will be aware how vital it is that institutions begin the process as early as possible. These GHWY-hosted webinars will help ensure our members can make a great start to it.
The new term meetings are coming up for our networks looking at decolonising activity as well as the experiences of learners from different under-represented groups. My colleague Tahera Mayat, Collaborative Outreach Officer, provides more information about this work in this blog.
We are also looking forward to continuing the further roll-out and refinement of the Uni Connect Attainment Raising activity. Feedback for the programme to date has proven extremely encouraging. Find out more about it at our Dissemination Event on Wednesday, 4 October.
We are excited to continue working with you on these activities, and much more besides, over the coming academic year.
Helen Sykes, Head of GHWY
