About
hello future
Who are we?
We are the Cumbrian hub of the national Uni Connect Programme, funded by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS is the independent regulator for higher education in England. Their aim is to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. We are a partnership of further and higher education providers and organisations invested in skills and career development across Cumbria.
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What do we do?
We work with year 9 -13 students, learners, teachers, advisors, parents and carers across Cumbria, to provide impartial information and activities to help them make key decisions, important to higher education and further training. Working out what to do next is an exciting time but can feel like a big task. We offer a range of free workshops and events to schools, colleges, and community organisations, exploring the different routes into higher education. We cover information on university and higher/degree apprenticeships to provide guidance throughout the process. We also explore the key skills and experience needed for these different routes. We work with young people from target areas across Cumbria, to ensure that everyone is able to make informed and inspired choices about their future.
Why get involved?
Our programme aims to support the government’s social mobility goals by rapidly increasing the number of young people from underrepresented groups who go into higher education. We are working to:
- Reduce the gap in higher education participation between the most and least represented groups
- Support young people to make well-informed decisions about their future education.
- Support effective and impactful local collaboration by higher education providers working together with schools, colleges, employers and other partners.
- Contribute to a stronger evidence base around ‘what works’ in higher education outreach and strengthen evaluation practice in the sector.
Our programme has been designed to complement and add value to the work that higher education providers undertake through their access and participation plans across Cumbria. We are here to support you with free impartial information, support and guidance – all you have to do is come and Chat With Us!
