Modern universities key to tackling regional inequalities, MillionPlus Chair tells Labour Fringe event

Modern universities are vital in widening access to higher education in the regions, MillionPlus Chair and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire Professor Graham Baldwin will tell a fringe event at the Labour Party Conference today (22 September). Vitally, the majority of these students stay on in the area they studied in, bringing high-level skills into the local communities and economies, many within essential public service professions such as nursing and teaching.

Professor Baldwin will say:

“MillionPlus universities provide key pathways into higher education for local students who are then retained in the region. Looking across the whole student lifecycle, 68.7% of working graduates at MillionPlus universities are “regional loyals,” meaning they lived, studied and then found work in the same region 15 months after graduating.

“Modern universities help to ensure a healthy pipeline of local graduates entering key public workforce professions in their regions, with 65.9% of modern university graduates in work are found in the public administration, education and health sectors. They are directly responsible for educating and training thousands of the highly skilled public services staff that keep Britain working, the economy growing and society thriving.”

While widening participation strategies have had significant success with record numbers of students entering higher education from disadvantaged backgrounds, the picture varies across regions, with participation growth significantly higher in London than elsewhere.

Professor Baldwin will say:

“Between 2015 and 2024, London witnessed a 12.8 percentage point increase in their participation rate (38.2% to 51%), meanwhile the North East saw a 1.4 percentage point increase (27.6% to 29%). This puts into sharp focus the importance of taking further action to address the persisting disparities, to ensure opportunities are available to all, irrespective of region.

“While we can welcome the increasing numbers of disadvantaged students entering higher education, the persistent participation gap highlights the need for sustained Government intervention.”

Professor Baldwin will close by re-iterating MillionPlus’s call for a social mobility premium, “a targeted funding initiative aimed at supporting students from the most disadvantaged areas.”

“This would help to give students the opportunity to succeed, regardless of where in the country they are located.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact Dan Blows on 020 3927 2916 or email press@millionplus.ac.uk
2. MillionPlus is the Association for Modern Universities in the UK, and the voice of 21st century higher education. We champion, promote and raise awareness of the essential role and impact of modern universities in the UK’s world-leading higher education sector. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk
3. What are modern universities? Modern universities are long established centres of higher education in their communities with roots that stretch back decades, if not centuries. Many gained university title following legislation agreed by parliament in 1992. They make up almost half of the UK university sector with over a million students studying at modern universities every year.
4. Modern universities: facts and stats

Event details:

Sunday 22 September 2024, 13:00 – 14:30

Venue: ACC (meeting room 13) in the secure zone

On the panel:

• The Lord Khan of Burnley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (Faith, Communities and Resettlement)
• Professor Graham Baldwin, Vice-Chancellor, UCLAN and MillionPlus Chair
• Nick Harrison, Chief Executive, The Sutton Trust
• Jess Lister, Associate Director, Public First
• Rachel Hewitt (Chair), Chief Executive, MillionPlus

***Check against delivery***

How Can Higher Education Help to Break Down Barriers to Opportunity Across Regions

Thank you very much for coming to this event today to discuss the role of higher education in helping to break down barriers to opportunity across our regions.

I am Professor Graham Baldwin, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Central Lancashire and Chair of MillionPlus, the Association for Modern Universities, and I’m delighted to be able to welcome you to this important discussion.

Before I address the topic at hand, I’d firstly like to thank The Lord Khan of Burnley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (Faith, Communities and Resettlement) in Sir Keir Starmer’s first government, for joining us today, just a few months into his current role.

I am delighted he is able to share with us his vast knowledge and experience, from his time working in higher education as a senior lecturer, as a community leader for a long period of time, to his role as a Minister and in the House of Lords. As an organisation MillionPlus have been fortunate to have an excellent working relationship with The Labour Party over a long period of time and I am looking forward to continuing this relationship as you settle into the role, alongside your colleagues across Whitehall Departments.

I’m also delighted to share a panel with Nick Harrison, Chief Executive of The Sutton Trust, who brings a wealth of experience and insight in this area, and from an organisation that has often led the way in highlighting many of the issues we are to discuss today.

This is a topic that is vitally important to people’s life chances but also the future prosperity and success of our local and national economies and most importantly for our communities and one that should be right at the forefront of thinking for a Labour government.

This event provides a great opportunity to explore the vital role modern universities play and how they are a key part of the solution. We were happy to see the Labour Party launch their opportunity mission in opposition and are pleased that it is priority of Keir Starmer and Bridget Phillipson to deliver on it.

MillionPlus institutions have six shared missions, but two of them to “drive social mobility” and “are placemakers in their local area” are at the crux of today’s topic for debate.

Modern universities have a crucial role in breaking down barriers to opportunity and helping the new Government to meet their aims and ambitions.

MillionPlus universities provide key pathways into higher education for local students who are then retained in the region. Looking across the whole student lifecycle, 68.7% of working graduates at MillionPlus universities are “regional loyals”, meaning they lived, studied and then found work in the same region 15 months after graduating.

Modern universities help to ensure a healthy pipeline of local graduates entering key public workforce professions in their regions, with 65.9% of modern university graduates in work are found in the public administration, education and health sectors. They are directly responsible for educating and training thousands of the highly skilled public services staff that keep Britain working, the economy growing and society thriving.

Modern universities make a huge contribution to their regional economies as anchor institutions and are key employers in their regions.

Modern universities have increased the opportunities for people from all walks of life to experience the transformative impact of higher education. Mature learners, people already in work, and all those who thought higher education was only for others have been able to unlock their potential and create new careers for themselves and new lives for their families. This diversity of approach and student profile is a key pillar of the modern university sector

In England, 64% of all HE entrants from a low participation background were studying at modern universities and 97% of entrants to modern universities went to a state school. Modern universities accounted for 79% of full-time mature entrants to higher education. In 2021–22, 64% of Black students in the UK were at modern universities. All modern universities identified widening participation/ access as one of the principal areas in which they contribute to the local economy.

But why do we want to see this as a priority for this Labour Government?

While widening participation strategies have had significant success with record numbers of students entering higher education from disadvantaged backgrounds, starting with the expansion of higher education by the last Labour government, the participation gap between these students and their more affluent peers persists.

Educational attainment varies more between regions in the UK than in many other OECD countries. While 71% of 25-64 year olds in London have obtained a tertiary qualification, the corresponding proportion in North East England is only 42%. And while the average participation rate of 18-year-olds in higher education is 36%, this average masks significant differences between the regions and countries across the UK.

While some regions have seen significant growth in the proportion of 18-year-olds participating in higher education, others have experienced much more modest increases. Between 2015 and 2024, London witnessed a 12.8 percentage point increase in their participation rate (38.2% to 51%), meanwhile the North East saw a 1.4 percentage point increase (27.6% to 29%) in the same period. This puts into sharp focus the importance of taking further action to address the persisting disparities, to ensure opportunities are available to all, irrespective of region

While we can welcome the increasing numbers of disadvantaged students entering higher education, the persistent participation gap highlights the need for sustained government intervention.

MillionPlus has called for and will continue our efforts pushing for the introduction of a 'Social Mobility Premium'—a targeted funding initiative aimed at supporting students from the most disadvantaged areas. This would help to give students the opportunity to succeed, regardless of where in the country they are located.

Modern universities stand ready to work with this Government to meet their mission objectives and help to further break down the barriers to opportunity that exist.