Phase 1
Jan 2017 - Jul 2019
Phase 2
Aug 2019 - Jul 2021
Phase 3
TBC Aug 2021
Introduction
Phase 1
Jan 2017 - Jul 2019
• To support the Government ’ s social mobility goals by rapidly increasing the number of young people from underrepresented groups who go into higher education .
• Focus on areas where higher education participation is lower than might be expected given the GCSE results of the young people who live there .
Phase 2
Aug 2019 - Jul 2021
• Targeted higher education outreach within the local areas with potential for the most impact ( these are the same areas targeted under Phase 1 )
• Outreach hubs within the 29 local partnerships with cross-England coverage to help schools and colleges access the higher education outreach they need and provide a platform for wider collaboration .
Phase 3
TBC Aug 2021
Uni Connect 4 brings together 29 partnerships of universities , colleges and other local partners to offer activities , advice and information on the benefits and realities of going to university or college for young people in years 9 to 13 in particular geographic areas .
It provides impartial information , advice and guidance to underrepresented students at levels 3 , 4 , 5 and 6 , supporting pathways to further and higher education .
Through providing an efficient single point of contact for schools and colleges to find out what opportunities are available for students in their area , Uni Connect helps to remove the academic , financial and cultural barriers to progression and supports students to achieve their ambitions . The programme can adjust its focus to different age groups and progression routes to support local priorities .
• Consultation on the possible extension of the programme to Phase 3 to take place in late 2020 / early 2021 .
With the challenges that 2020 has brought for young people , achieving these aims is more important than ever . A rapid evidence assessment by the Education Endowment Foundation projected that school closures will widen the attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers , likely reversing progress made to narrow the gap since 2011 5 . In their analysis of the impact of the learning loss due to Covid-19 , London Economics and the Sutton Trust assume that the labour market penalty associated with the learning loss will be incurred by only those individuals likely to achieve lower levels of post-compulsory education , not by those who progress to higher education . 6
4
Uni Connect was formerly known as the National Collaborative Outreach Programme ( NCOP ).
5
Education Endowment Foundation ( 2020 ) Impact of school closures on the attainment gap : Rapid Evidence Assessment , London : Education Endowment Foundation .
6
Halterbeck , M ., Conlon , G ., Patrignani , P ., & Pritchard , A . Lost Learning , Lost Earnings . 4