Nominations open for inaugural Student Social Mobility Awards
THE AWARDS CEREMONY WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE HOUSE OF LORDS IN DECEMBER
Social mobility charity upReach has opened nominations for its first ever awards ceremony, aiming to showcase the achievements of disadvantaged students from across the country. The charity is calling upon all current undergraduates to nominate students from low-income backgrounds who have “demonstrated great resilience, determination or initiative.”
As well as the student nominations, three of the awards are exclusively for mentors, universities and employers who have made an asserted effort to break down the typical socio-economic barriers to education and high-skilled careers.
The event itself will take place on the 13th December at the House of Lords, hosted by the charity’s patron and Labour peer Baroness Helena Kennedy QC. The independent judging panel for the night includes key figures from government, academia and the charity sector.
Founded in 2012, upReach now supports 1100 students from low socio-economic backgrounds across the UK, including at UCL. Working with students and universities, the charity offers “an intensive programme of support” to help increase access to educational, extra-curricular and career-based opportunities. On top of this, they collaborate with high level employers in organisations to encourage a fairer approach to recruitment and to highlight the value of diversity within a workforce.
Earlier this month, the Institute of Fiscal Studies published research showing that despite the overall figures for students attending university in the UK rising, 34,000 fewer disadvantaged people are enrolling at universities this year compared to 2013. Experts have since called for a more open public conversation about the “culture and ambition in white working class families,” whilst Education Secretary Damian Hinds has announced a revamped budget of £24m dedicated to improving standards in the North-East of England.
If you have a friend, colleague, mentor, or professor in mind who you’d like to see receive an award, you can nominate them here.