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Mission four: breaking down barriers to opportunity

Chelmsford College, Essex

At Chelmsford College, breaking down barriers to opportunity for every single learner, no matter their age or circumstances, is at the heart of provision. Working in partnership with organisations like the King’s Trust and Citizens UK, the college offers a range of pathways tailored to those who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), increasing aspiration across the region.

"The Independent Commission on the College of the Future, which I had the pleasure of chairing, was clear that colleges have a role not only as a locally accessible touchpoint for people to access opportunities throughout their lives to study, train and upskill as and when they need it, but also as a central partner to employers – supporting innovation and business change, and driving regional economic growth. This combined remit, across both skills and innovation, is incredibly exciting, and will be key to this government’s commitment to both kickstart economic growth and to break down barriers to opportunity.

"I’m convinced this represents a significant untapped potential – and that with the right support, the potential role of colleges is very significant.”

Professor Sir Ian Diamond, UK’s National Statistician, Office for National Statistics

Brighton, Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College, East Sussex

In September 2023, at Brighton, Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College (BHASVIC), one in four students from lowincome backgrounds did not make it to the end of their study programme compared with one in 20 from the whole cohort. If they did manage to get to the end of their programme, the value-added outcomes for these students were -0.32 of a grade behind their peers.

A year later, the retention of students from low-income backgrounds has increased from 76.2% to 90.4%, with value-added outcomes now 0.08 of a grade’s difference between these students and others.

This progress is thanks to a simple but effective whole-college project, ‘Closing the gap’. Starting with all staff training on outcomes for students from low-income backgrounds, guidance on how to best work with them and an inspiring speaker from grassroots campaign Class Divide, the project has enhanced the work staff were already doing to maximum effect. For example, a flagging function was added to the register system and staff were encouraged to pin targeted students to the top of Microsoft Teams chats. Staff now actively check in early, with positivity and kindness, on students from low-income backgrounds, and prioritise them for support where appropriate. Targeted recruitment to the college’s well-established Flourish mentoring programme, in which students receive regular mentoring sessions is also encouraged.

The strategy is discussed at whole-staff meetings and is kept as a live topic in department meetings, and BHASVIC plans to sustain and improve outcomes for students from low-income backgrounds further, through partnership work with feeder schools and a local university.

"The King’s Trust works with colleges throughout England, whose inspirational staff run our Team Programme with dedication and passion. They inspire 16 to 25-year-olds who face multiple and complex challenges, developing their confidence and skills, and supporting them into employment, or further education and training. We expect many more young people to need this support over the coming years, not least due to trends in young people’s mental health and wellbeing.

"This makes colleges absolutely critical for delivering the government’s ‘opportunity mission’, and they must be supported and funded to play their full role.”

Jonathan Townsend, Chief Executive, King’s Trust

Petty Pool College, Cheshire

Empowering young people to discover a world of opportunity and possibility”: that’s the vision at Petty Pool College in Cheshire, and it’s one which staff and learners live out every single day. The college provides specialist vocational education for 16 to 19-year-olds with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities, with a curriculum specifically designed to give every young person the best chance of securing employment at the end of their studies.

In the North West, around 4.5% of young people with SEND go into employment each year, but in 2024, at Petty Pool, 28% of leavers secured paid employment. Developing partnerships with employers is a key focus for Petty Pool. A partnership with fashion brand BEPO (be positive), for example, saw learners design and develop their own line of clothing, called ‘All Inclusive’ which is now retailed by BEPO online and in stores. And most recently, ‘The Ground Up Project’ CIC has been launched, as a modern coffee shop and training facility, designed to provide supported internships, employment and upskilling opportunities for learners, and ‘brew’ the next generation of baristas.

The focus, however, is not only to open doors for supported internships, but to break the stereotypes around employment of neurodiverse individuals. The college educates organisations around the benefits that having a diverse workforce can offer, shaping the landscape for the upcoming generation of young people with SEND. An inaugural ‘Neurodiversity in Work Conference’ this year, saw around 150 delegates pledged to take steps to become more neurodiversity aware or offer work-placements to neurodiverse people.