Posted 21 February 2025

I can still vividly recall a time when I felt such a crushing sense of intimidation and self-doubt in a Higher Education (HE) setting. It was 1996 and I was being interviewed to read French at the University of Liverpool. I was asked a perfectly reasonable question, ‘Why do you want to study French?’ and I froze. I found the question, and the setting, totally overwhelming and it rendered me speechless 

On reflection, it’s no surprise I wasn’t prepared for the interview. I come from an area of South Leeds where lads were typically encouraged to ‘get a trade’ and lasses were encouraged to go into ‘banking’. My parents were loving and supportive but they were Irish immigrants with little or no education. 

My story is one of the reasons I feel so motivated and impassioned to work on the Uni Connect (UC) programme; I don’t want young people to feel that same sense of self doubt, intimidation, and the alienation I felt in an HE setting. I want them to feel like they have value, deserve to be there and are worthy. 

I feel proud to now be six months into my role as Senior Project Manager. 

Uni Connect programme 

The GHWY Uni Connect project was a very small group of likeminded individuals when I joined it in 2017. Since then, it has grown and grown and grown some more.  

Go Higher West Yorkshire’s UC project has engaged with more than 48,000 learners since 2017 in a variety of different settings. These include schools, colleges, universities, specialist providers, buses on high streets, and in museums.  

We’ve also delivered more than 5,500 activities, from HE campus visits, student finance talks to industry events to construction sites visits… the list goes on. Our learners have had a wealth of experiences; they have danced, designed housing projects, surveyed crime scenes and performed musicals.  

Has it made a difference? 

Our most recent progression data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) demonstrates that for learners from POLAR Quintile 1 – the group with the lowest participation rates in HE – rates of progression into HE are 9 percentage points higher for learners GHWY has engaged with compared with the national average.  

The picture is also healthy nationally, with 1.5 million learners engaging in the programme since 2017. For every pound spent on the programme, it delivers between £5-9 back to the treasury. 

This year we are delivering the Uni Connect programme with a significant cut in funding and the loss of some really valued colleagues. We have had to dig deep and really work together to make this year a success, ensuring that serving our learners is at the heart of what we do. Our incredible staff and valued partners have risen to the challenge, and as a project we are truly delivering and making a significant impact.  

This year our flagship Attainment Raising ‘Think and Go Higher’ programme is going from strength to strength. We’ve just launched our inspirational programmes for Males on Free School Meals, our exciting industry led Go Higher In Days are filling up and our CPD programme has hit unparalleled attendance numbers. 

What does the future hold?  

I felt reassured after attending a recent NEON event at the House of Commons where the Minister for Skills, Baroness Jacqui Smith, spoke about the importance of ensuring equal access to Higher Education for all individuals, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status.  

The messaging continues to be positive with the recent Office for Student Theory of Change  report setting out a timeline for Phase 4 of a collaborative HE Outreach programme. We have every reason to be cautiously optimistic. We just need that all-important confirmation of timescales, funding and guidance.  

I ask all our partners to shout about the importance of impartial HE collaborative outreach and the impact it can have to improve the life chances of our young people. I am optimistic that by working together, confirmation of the programme’s continuation will come. 

In the meantime, we will continue to serve our learners because ultimately, they are what matters. They are – to use my French degree! – our ‘raison ‘d’être’. 

 

Maria O’Sullivan, GHWY UC Senior Project Manager