Education and Skills Minister, Margaret Hodge, yesterday reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to widening participation in higher education and announced an expansion of the Summer Schools programme to help more students get to university.
Speaking at the Universities UK Annual Conference in London, Mrs Hodge said:
“This year, over 5,500 young people will get a taste of university life. Summer schools are very effective at giving pupils the opportunity to see first hand the benefits higher education can bring and young people who have attended a summer school are considerably more likely than their peers to go on to university.
“We must help pupils realise the advantages – both for their personal development and for their future employment. Demand for the well qualified and skilled continues to rise, unemployment amongst graduates is half the national average, and graduates working full-time earn 20% more than those with two or more A levels. Our task – in partnership with universities, further education colleges and schools – is to help more people benefit from these advantages.
