4th May 2022: Linking London Uni Connect update

We are very pleased to announce that we have so far worked with 29% of learners who live in one of our 13 target Uni Connect wards, well exceeding our aim of 20%. This is in the context of making a particular effort towards delivering sustained engagement, in other words at least three interactions, with each ward learner, while maintaining high numbers of learners. We would like to acknowledge our Engagement Coordinators’ great efforts to achieve this.

As ever, the bulk of our interactions with learners are on a one-to-one basis, in a range of contexts. The majority of sessions take place in person in college, but Brightside mentoring is also one-to-one. Brightside projects will now draw to a close, and engagement and evaluation will be carried out and shared in due course.  Last week we launched our work with MindMapper UK, who deliver coaching through a combination of in person group sessions, and virtual one-to-one sessions.

This month we had a second successful online parent-focused talk, this time on Apprenticeships, where we heard from a speaker from RateMyApprenticeship as well as two current apprentices , former students from one of our colleges - recording here. Some of our 117 attendees provided valuable feedback which was overwhelmingly positive (a score of 4.6/5 for usefulness of information, from 26 respondents). Overall it has been a productive month, especially considering the two week Easter Break!

As part of our adult learner work, we have produced several resources which may be of interest. Case study videos featuring mature learners speaking about their experiences of higher education can be found on our YouTube channel in a playlist here. Please feel free to use/show these during any outreach or IAG work you think is suitable – the three students are from Birkbeck, University of Westminster, and Point Blank Music School and provide some valuable and inspirational insights. 

As a continuation of our ‘Curriculum to Careers’ poster series, we have produced 5 new versions which are specifically aimed at Access learners. We will be distributing printed copies to colleges, and PDFs can be found on the Linking London website. The subjects covered are Nursing, Education, Social Sciences, Art and Design, and Business. 

Following feedback from college partners, we, with very helpful inputs from OCN London, put together a simple guide for adults on Level 2 courses considering their next steps. The guide covers key aspects to consider when choosing a Level 3 course and what to consider when deciding to go onto higher education and is designed to spark ideas and highlight elements learners may want to research further. The digital guide can be accessed here.