Alice Davies is a member of South West Wales Reaching Wider Consortium. Widening access is about increasing opportunities for people from a diverse range of backgrounds to benefit from higher education.
‘We want to see a country where every individual is given equal opportunity to fulfil their potential, maximise their earning potential and contribute to society’
Jane
Davidson AM
Minister
for Education and Lifelong Learning
March
2002
Why are they widening access?
- HE is required to provide equality
- There is still poverty
- Increase the number of people from under
represented groups in higher education such as
disabilities, low income
families, black and ethnic minority communities, people from
communities first
wards, looked after children and care leavers.
Under represented groups are:
- people from specific black and ethnic minority communities
- people with disabilities
- people from low income families
- people from Communities First wards
- looked after children and care leavers.
Communities First
Communities first support the 100 most deprived areas in Wales.
'Communities First is the Welsh Government's flagship programme to improve the living
conditions and prospects for people in the most disadvantaged communities across Wales.'
Welsh Government (2012)
The Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (2000) focuses on income, employment, health,
education, housing, access to services.
HEFCW – Higher Education funding council for Wales.
Funding
- Fee planning - justify why they are charging amount of money
for fees, plan who will
benefit from the money.
- WA premium - widening
access premium, uni gets more money if you come from a
deprived place, or have
a disability, basically any of the points above.
- WA strategy funding
- Reaching Wider - was established in 2002 by HEFCW to break down the barriers and
widen access to learning, and the support social inclusion and economic up-skilling.
'The strategy set out a range of targets for higher education Wales, to be achieved by 2010,
relating to widening access, Welsh medium provision, Wales as a destination of first choice,
overseas students, reducing overhead costs, 'spinout' companies from universities and
research income.' Higher education funding council for Wales (2009).
Alice also talked about the three regional partnerships; North and Mid Wales, First Campus
- South East, South West Wales partnership. The South West Wales partnership consists of
Swansea, Neath-Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, and Pembrokeshire. The members of the
partnership are HE, FE, Local authorities, Careers Wales, Third sector, and Communities
First. Their aims are encourage progression to higher education, assist with enhancing
achievement, work with severe relative social disadvantage, focus on underrepresented
communities.
She then went on to tell us about the work that she does. They aim to raise aspiration and
raise attainment. There are programmes for different school years to encourage people from
different background to enter higher and further education.
Her aims for the future are:
•Contextual admissions
•More HE in FE
•More part time study/distance learning
•More Adult Education
References
Welsh Government (2012) Communities First Retrieved 2nd May 2012 from
Higher education funding council for Wales (2009) Reaching Higher strategy for higher
education - Retrieved 2nd May 2012 from
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