Read: Unlocking talent that can come from anywhere

Spotlight on Professor Steven West and the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol

Professor Steven West is Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West of England but his path into the world of education was far from traditional. 

Professor Steven West grew up on a council estate in Luton where from an early age he worked alongside his dad in the family plumbing business. He struggled in the classroom, later being diagnosed with dyslexia, and teachers told him he wouldn’t be able to go to university. Having done a full spectrum of jobs growing up - paper rounds, petrol pump attendant, cleaner, mechanic work - he realised that he wanted to do something different. No one in his family had been to university before but Steven decided to move to London and study podiatry at a further education college and then the London Foot Hospital. 

Having worked in the NHS as a podiatrist, Steven studied hard to get his fellowship qualifications and became a podiatric surgeon. Alongside this he began to teach within the hospital and college structure, the start of a career where he would balance his clinical and education careers. Following a number of leadership roles at UWE and Huddersfield University, Steven was appointed Vice-Chancellor of UWE in 2008. 

Steven’s story rings true for many at UWE, an institution with a history of enabling opportunity.  The University believes that if people have the ability and the drive, along with the right support, they can achieve outstanding things. Talent can come from anywhere and young people develop at different rates, unfortunately this can sometimes be missed by the education system which requires a particular track to be followed. 

UWE was traditionally a vocational college and a training setting close to the economy, professions and industry, serving a need. The DNA of the university is absolutely committed and aligned to participation, access and opportunity. A high proportion of the senior team are the first to go to university in their families, showing a real passion to make a difference. 

The University is focused on how to create ecosystems in the city region that benefit young people and the community, and give access to opportunity. Bristol city region has huge diversity, which brings with it opportunity but also massive challenges due to social divide. Inequality in the Bristol city region means that young people across the city do not have the same life chances and cannot contribute to regional growth and skills needs. This is fundamentally unfair and universities have a significant role to play, working alongside business, schools and the government to address this.

Young people in certain areas of Bristol face a range of barriers into high education. Some of these are deep-rooted cultural barriers going back generations with the view that “communities like ours don’t go to university”. Other barriers often exist around confidence to step out of a community and challenge and push for something new. Being able to imagine yourself in a future role (as a university student or in a future career role) is a critical part of taking the next step. Seeing people from similar backgrounds achieving success and knowing that there is a pathway that can be followed breeds confidence. 

It’s important to understand the specific needs of the community and the young people within it and work with them to understand how to articulate what the options are. UWE sees role models as being crucial to this - using student ambassadors, who are much closer to the communities, and arming them with the right support, advice and materials has a much greater impact. These students can tell their own personal stories and become mentors for young people. As well as helping to spread opportunity throughout the city, student ambassadors also gain leadership experience which they can use in the real world. 

Other physical and structural barriers exist  – financial concerns, gaps in provision and transport challenges can limit how easy it is for those living in some areas of the city to access higher or further education. Sometimes it is down to a lack of information and Covid has highlighted issues associated with digital poverty - for example, 35 per cent of students coming to UWE do not have access to a computer or the internet at home. The University has spent millions in trying to close this digital divide but the issue is even worse in schools, at a time when young people are considering their futures. 

For the past four years, UWE has been leading the collaborative Future Quest outreach programme. Part of the Uni Connect programme, it is building on initiatives that started many years ago that were designed to get universities, colleges and schools to work together to create ecosystems to engage with hard to reach children. It is an outreach programme which works with schools in disadvantaged areas across Bristol to ensure that young people with no experience of higher education can nevertheless have a real understanding of what it is, what it requires from them as a would-be student, and where it can lead. It is designed to excite and inspire not only children, but teachers and parents as well, about future opportunities. 

Through Future Quest, UWE collaborates with other regional higher education partners, local authorities and employers to better ensure that there is a level playing field when it comes to accessing higher education. The project is about tackling unfairness and removing the current postcode lottery - there is no evidence that aspirations differ significantly by postcode or by socio-economic status. This is a complex issue that can’t be just led by universities, it’s about bringing together communities and working with teachers to create the right content to open the eyes of children to the possibility of going to higher education. 

With over 50 per cent of UWE students coming from local communities, the Future Quest project aligns closely with the University’s values. The aim is to ensure that young people in the local community are given the tools and advice to pick the right pathway for them. Increasingly it’s about different pathways to higher qualification levels, including apprenticeships, colleges and further education. 

Like many other things, the Future Quest project and UWE’s outreach has been impacted by coronavirus. Most activity has been taken online but this again highlights the digital divide and the need for all young people to have access to these materials. While all the materials and content are available online, it is much easier to build and strengthen relationships with schools and communities face-to-face. 

The initial funding period for Future Quest is now coming to an end without any clear direction about the future of the programme. The UWE has shown passion, commitment and understanding of how to make a difference to under-represented communities, cuts to funding will unfortunately limit the impact it can have. Every part of the ecosystem is going to struggle post-Covid which is why continued support for outreach programmes is crucial to give young people from disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to follow the same path as Professor Steve West.