Go Higher West Yorkshire’s (GHWY) Underrepresented Groups (URG) Approach and Impact Report offers a comprehensive review of strategic outreach initiatives delivered across West Yorkshire via the Uni Connect programme in 2022-2023 academic year.

This collaboration among 13 higher education institutions aims to bridge the gap in higher education access, achievement, and progression for various URGs. These groups include learners from Black, Asian, and Minoritised Ethnic backgrounds, disabled learners, Gypsy Roma Traveller communities, and male learners receiving free school meals.

The report outlines GHWY’s practices in developing an evidence-led approach to working with these groups, including a sector best practices review, a theory of change workshop, staff surveys, and focus groups with URG learners. It identifies specific hurdles each group encounters and assesses the impact of targeted interventions. Findings of this report highlight the importance of continuous engagement, role model exposure, and tailored support for learners from underrepresented backgrounds.

Key recommendations are presented alongside some initial insights into the impact of our approach to working with these underrepresented groups.