University News Last updated 07 March
Vulnerable young people in the West Midlands who may have given up on education will be encouraged to consider applying for university as part of a new mentoring project aimed at helping them “rebuild confidence” and “rediscover learning”.
Birmingham City University (BCU) has teamed up with Barnardo’s, Liminal Education, and Our Place Support to launch the ‘Pathway to Potential’ programme for 14- to 18-year-olds who are homeless, looked after by their local authority, or not in mainstream education.
Lucia Puricelli, Senior Programme Manager at BCU, said: “The University has run several successful mentoring schemes, and we want to continue having a meaningful impact on children, young people, students, and graduates within the West Midlands.
"This project embodies all we want to achieve through BCU’s new 2030 strategy, in particular, the focus on powering prosperity and developing the talent for tomorrow.
“By supporting these young people to build their confidence, we can help them to dream big, feel excited about their potential, and put university firmly back on the agenda.”
Twenty-five trained BCU students and alumni will dedicate 800 hours of mentoring to 50 young people to develop their empathy, compassion, active listening, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness - all skills that can be applied to their studies and future aspirations.
Those selected for mentoring will undertake activities that set baselines for education and wellbeing. They will also receive an individual learning plan.
BCU Vice-Chancellor Professor David Mba said: “We are justly proud of our track record for bringing down barriers to higher education and providing the talent for tomorrow with opportunities to excel, regardless of background.
“We also appreciate that our ethos of delivering practical, inclusive education is best achieved through partnership with organisations who share our values and can keep pace with our drive to make an impact. I look forward to seeing lives transformed as a result of this programme.”
Backed by funding from the Office for Students (OfS), the project, which runs from March 2025 until July 2027, comes at a pivotal point for the city’s young people.
A 69% increase in the number of homeless young people in Birmingham since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 is linked to a drop in school attendance and educational attainment.
Additionally, 13.7% of young people in Birmingham were persistently absent from school in 2020/21, compared to 8.8% nationally.
Shelter, a registered charity that campaigns for housing justice, has repeatedly warned of the devastating impact homelessness is having on children’s education.
Research from 2023 found that half of teachers at state schools in England (49%) worked at a school with children who were homeless or who had become homeless in the last year.
Kelly Round, CEO of Our Place Support CIC, said: “We have seen firsthand how the past five years have impacted young people’s education and wellbeing as they navigated the Covid pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, and wider societal uncertainty.
“Through this partnership, we will use our expertise to recruit and train mentors with lived experience to provide young people with the mentoring support they need to rebuild confidence, rediscover learning, and move forward with a sense of possibility.”
Adam Cooper, Barnardo's Acting Director of Children Services for the Central Region, said: “The Barnardo's team is thrilled to be part of this innovative partnership, working with leading organisations to support young people at a crucial stage in their lives, as they move toward their future goals.
"Pathway to Potential will create life-lasting, positive change by removing barriers and supporting access to higher education for young people, while offering valuable resources and guidance.”
Andy Hawkins, CEO of Liminal Education, added: “Liminal Education are excited to be working in partnership with BCU, Barnardo’s, and Our Place Support on the Pathway to Potential project.
“We know just how important a collaborative, personalised approach to supporting young people is in helping them fulfil their academic potential.”
BCU is one of just 11 institutions to receive investment from the OfS Equality in Higher Education Innovation Fund to mentor young people.
In addition to almost £200,000 awarded by the OfS, BCU has received in-kind contributions and investment from partners that bring the total project fund to £276,306.
The latest project builds on the success of two earlier mentoring programmes that have been run by BCU, Barnardo’s, and Our Place Support:
- 700 young people supported through the Early Help Mentoring and Befriending Service.
- 106 young people supported through the Peer Mentoring and Mental Health Champions Service for 16–25-year-olds from disabled, LGBTQ, and black, Asian and other minoritised ethnic communities – open until January 2026, visit Our Place to apply.