Passport to Uni initiative gets stamp of approval

Thu 25 February, 2021

The University of Bedfordshire is launching an interactive ‘Passport to Uni’ programme for local school children, as part of this year’s National Careers Week activities.

The initiative, devised and run by the University’s Access and Outreach Team, is aiming to ignite Year 7 and 8 pupils’ interest in higher education. Its launch coincides with National Careers Week (1^st – 6^th March) as a reminder to school pupils and their teachers, parents and guardians that it is never too early for children to start thinking about their career and future opportunities.

The Passport to Uni programme is available to local Year 7 and 8 students, with seven schools already signed up to participate. It comprises of four downloadable presentations via Loom, each granting a ‘stamp’ in the Passport to Uni upon completion. Once complete, participating pupils will be invited to visit the University of Bedfordshire in person this summer.

Each presentation lasts for around 30 – 40 minutes and will cover the following topics:

Lesson 1	Introduction to University
Lesson 2	Careers, Courses and Digital Skills
Lesson 3	Student Finance and Budgeting Skills
Lesson 4	Get to Know our Students

With a focus on engagement, all presentations have an interactive feature and will provide students with career information, finance and budgeting advice and a raised awareness of the different routes and pathways to higher education.

While the programme is being launched during National Careers Week, the presentations are recorded and uploaded permanently to Loom by the Access and Outreach Team and its student associates, so can be accessed at any time.

Passport to Uni

The presentations can be delivered by a member of the school’s teaching staff or virtually by one of the Access and Outreach Team, Roisin Kendall and Sundip Randhawa. Roisin Kendall, Access Partnership Manager, believes the scheme will open pathways that some students may not have considered. She said:

“The Passport to Uni Programme will open up the virtual door to University for students who may not potentially see this as a future option.”

“The sessions are designed to focus young people on the positives a degree can bring, plus it allows them to hear from our current undergraduate students about their personal journey to University.”

To contact the Access and Outreach Team for queries about this initiative and about becoming a partner in the community, email: access@beds.ac.uk

For information about how to apply to study at the University of Bedfordshire, visit: www.beds.ac.uk/howtoapply