Read: CPC23 - Conference fringe explores how place-based organisations can work together to boost social mobility
The Purpose Coalition launched a new report with Newcastle and Northumbria Universities today which assesses the impact of placed-based organisations on social mobility.
The report, The Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement: Place-Based Action to Boost Social Mobility and Drive Inclusive Economic Growth across Newcastle and the North East of England, was launched at an event hosted by the Purpose Coalition at the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester. Chaired by Purpose Coalition Chair and former Education Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening, the panel also included John Stevenson, Chairman of the Northern Research Group, Professor Jane Robinson, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Engagement and Place at Newcastle University, Professor Tom Lawson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Northumbria University and Ian Levy, MP for Blyth Valley.
The discussion, City Collaboration: How can place-based organisations work together to boost growth, jobs and opportunities?, explored how Newcastle and Northumbria Universities’ innovative partnership is pioneering a new way of working which could be replicated by other universities and by other regions.
Newcastle and Northumbria Universities have been formally collaborating through the Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement (CNUA) since 2021 in a partnership agreement which maximises their economic and social contribution to Newcastle and the wider region. With other partners in the public, private and voluntary sectors, they are driving sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Through their collective research, they drive innovation to grow economic opportunity in the city and wider region. Through education they are working together to help people develop the skills needed for the future workforce. Through their operations they are contributing millions to the local economy and supporting a just transition to Net Zero.
The Universities’ commitment to a civic mission also means supporting people so that they can take advantage of these opportunities, raising aspirations to allow them to achieve their full potential. The North East has some of the UK’s lowest rates of school attainment and participation in higher education, alongside high levels of economic inactivity, poverty and health inequalities. The two universities have developed this model to help address these issues and make a tangible social impact.
Today’s event heard about some of the initiatives that are contributing to the success of their work together with a range of case studies where the support they have received has made a real difference to students. Recommendations in the report are targeted at the North East but also at a wider audience of policymakers. They include building on opportunities to embed partnerships and share best practice, maximising the opportunities of partnership working across the region to support social mobility, particularly in the context of the new North East Mayoral Combined Authority, and developing a national model to connect opportunities around commercialisation and economic growth with an inclusion agenda.
