Uni Connect programme reaches one million young people

Research & Evaluation BLOG | 5 October 2022

Uni Connect partnerships across the nation are excited to share recent news from programme funders, the Office for Students (OfS), who have announced the programme has engaged over a million young people between 2017 and 2021.

Uni Connect (established in 2017 by the OfS) aims to reduce the gap in higher education participation between the most and least represented groups. Uni Connect partnerships provide young people the opportunity to access information and advice about higher education through a range of engaging activities and interventions.

It equips young people with the information they need to make informed choices about their future, supporting them to overcome barriers they may encounter.

As part of their latest press release, the OfS have announced partnerships will focus on attainment raising activities for students in years 7 to 11 in order to support progression to higher education. Uni Connect partnerships will work in collaboration with local universities and colleges to achieve this initiative.

John Blake, Director for Fair Access and Participation at the OfS, leads on equality of opportunity in higher education. John said:

‘It is fantastic to see that over one million young people have engaged with Uni Connect so far and become more informed about educational opportunities and their futures.

The earlier that educational support and guidance starts the better, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, which is why it’s important for Uni Connect to focus on raising attainment for those aged 16 and under.

Over half of all schools and colleges in England have worked with the programme. We encourage all school leaders to engage with their local Uni Connect partnership to develop collaborative approaches to help drive student attainment up.’

The Southern Universities Network (SUN) is proud to contribute towards this initiative to benefit future generations of students from a range of backgrounds.

Check out our Progression Mentor page which demonstrates some of our work in the Southern Universities Network area.