To help young people from under-represented backgrounds make the transition from school or college to university, Villiers Park is working with the UPP Foundation to deliver additional support for young people including our new Transition to University course. Here, Villiers Park’s Director of Programmes Deborah Richardson talks about why the support is needed and how it will help young people take their first steps into higher education.
I started working for Villiers Park in 1990 and while the organisation has changed hugely in my time here there continue to be issues with access to higher education. Although we now see many more students from underrepresented backgrounds entering higher education, degree and employment outcomes for these students are much lower than their more advantaged peers.
We see in the students that we work with that the transition to higher education can be daunting, with their first year of university proving pivotal in determining their trajectory. Our findings from this project underscore the need for comprehensive support during this period, especially for under-represented students. Obstacles such as Student Finance applications and access to affordable housing can prove to be insurmountable barriers for young people before they even arrive at university.
Many dropouts happen during or at the end of the first year, where the jump from college to university can shock students. Our Transition to University course aims to give students the skills and confidence they need to manage the practical, emotional and logistical aspects of university life.
