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The ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester has been shortlisted for ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of the Year in the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Social Mobility Awards 2019.

The Awards recognise best practice and innovation and celebrate excellence and achievement among organisations across the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ working to improve social mobility.

Worcester is well known nationally for its pioneering approach to promoting inclusion and social mobility, successfully championing the whole university approach to widening participation in higher education long before it became adopted as best practice nationally.

Earlier this year the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ was named as number one in the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ for Quality Education in the inaugural Times Higher Education ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Impact Rankings. The rankings are based on universities’ records in contributing to achieving the United Nations’ globally agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDG for Quality Education is to ‘Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all’.

Community volunteering and work-based placements and projects are very strong features of student life at the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester – an approach to social mobility which has led the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ’s graduates to be in the top 10 for sustained employment for 1, 3 and 5 years after graduation, according to the government-published Longitudinal Educational Outcomes data.

The ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ is always looking for ways to improve and is currently pioneering a campaign to secure free train travel for ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Open Days, which has won support right across the spectrum.

Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor David Green CBE, said: “We are very proud to be shortlisted for ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of the Year in the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Social Mobility Awards. Every student who comes to the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ enjoys the opportunity to make more of their own precious human potential through high quality education and participation in a dynamic, supportive ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ community, City and region.”

Professor Green continued: “As a university we are committed to helping individuals who in previous generations would not have had the opportunity to benefit from higher education, working with Colleges and high quality educational organisations to provide programmes in many parts of the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ in such vital but neglected areas as Child and Adolescent Mental Health; Learning Support, Early Years and Parent Education.

“We believe passionately in education as a force for good and that a university education both transforms the lives of individual students and the society in which we live.”

Earlier this month the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ was rated among the top 10 English non-specialist universities in the National Student Survey (NSS) with 88.2% of Worcester final year students saying they were satisfied overall.

The ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ has been committed to developing facilities that are open to the community, raising aspirations from the earliest age to aid social mobility. These include The Hive, Europe’s first integrated university and public library, the ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ of Worcester Arena, Britain’s first inclusive indoor sports hall purpose-designed to include the wheelchair athlete, and the recently opened Art House.

The ºù«ÍÞÊÓƵ Social Mobility Awards will be announced on October 10^th at a ceremony in London.