How to work with communities who are under-represented in FE and HE

Widening participation in further and higher education is crucial for promoting social mobility, reducing inequality, and fostering a more inclusive environment. By increasing access for underrepresented groups, it provides opportunities for individuals to reach their full potential. Student groups that are under-represented within post-16 education includes;

• Mature learners

• Service children

• Refugees and asylum seekers

• Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman, Boater (GRTSB)

• Global majority students

• Students with care experience

• Estranged students

• Students with disabilities
  

A more diverse student population enhances the educational experience, bringing different perspectives that enrich learning for all. Additionally, it helps close skill gaps, strengthens the workforce, and drives economic growth. Ensuring equal access to higher education contributes to a fairer, more just society, where success is based on ability and effort, not background or circumstance.

So how can you work with these students effectively to engage, and retain them in education?

Let students have their say
Where possible, use student voice to inform activities. There is no better way to tell us how we can work more effectively with diverse groups of students than from those within the same communities or from the same backgrounds. This will empower students, gain better buy in from their peers and give them a sense of ownership over projects, which is a fantastic opportunity for them to practice a range of skills from leadership to teamwork and building on their organisation and communication skills.

Trial and error
Not everything will have the desired outcome you are hoping for. Don't be disheartened by this. Use feedback and evaluation to inform changes and improvements for next time.

Bespoke opportunities
Offer students opportunities that connect with their aspirations and will benefit them. Last year, the University of Suffolk offered an eight session Law Club at the Ipswich campus, with one session a month from October to May. This was available to Year 12s, and first-year Level 1 students from Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex. The programme saw 47 students learn about a range of different laws and legal practices including police stop and search and human rights laws, in an engaging way and they got to practice their learnings in the Mock Court room through case studies and short mock trials. This programme was a fantastic opportunity for students wanting to go on to study Law at University and was something they could use in their personal statements to stand out from the crowd.

Take the time
Make sure you really understand the challenges faced by people from the communities you are supporting. This shows you are invested in offering support that could really make a difference to their experience and have a positive impact on their progression. I worked closely with students from One Sixth Form College's Ethnic Youth Empowerment Society (EYES) who wanted to work in partnership to write a funding application to bid for money to support their Culture Day which was created to celebrate different cultures through a range of fun and interactive sessions including a cat walk with staff and students wearing their cultural dress. The successful funding application also included mentoring for the EYES group and other students by a local organisation, Aspire Black Suffolk.

Form strong partnerships
Strong partnerships and collaborative working between further and higher education institutes and community organisations support mutual aims to support students and young people from under-represented groups and help to identify barriers faced by these groups.

The University of Suffolk has worked closely with local feeder colleges for many years and since 2017, FE colleges and sixth forms in Suffolk have been offered support from the Network for East Anglian Collaborative Outreach (NEACO) project. For some FE colleges, this has come from a dedicated staff member and additional funding to support students from deprivation areas (IMDQ1 postcodes). A mixture of one-to-one and group sessions, as well as visits to FE and HE institutes has supported students with making informed choices about their post-16 and post-18 options including considering HE routes. The close links with other HEI's in the region, including University of Cambridge, Anglian Ruskin, UEA, and NUA has allowed for students to visit different universities to explore course offerings, tour the campus and hear from students from similar backgrounds.

Progression agreements between HE institutes, and FE colleges aim to widen access to HE for students from certain backgrounds. These agreements enhance progression opportunities and increase partnership working between a range of schools and colleges into universities. These agreements further highlight the importance of working in collaboration and supporting the needs of students.

Aimee Hayes is the Access and Participation Officer at University of Suffolk.