University News Last updated 18 July
Students from Birmingham City University (BCU) have visited the House of Lords to meet with CEOs, politicians and academics to explore opportunities to improve social mobility for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
On 11th July, four BCU students from a range of courses attended the Social Impact Summit at Parliament after working with the Careers+ team at the university.
The event, run by Katapult X, aims to raise awareness of the positive social impact that corporate organisations can have in creating a fairer society and generating more opportunities for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Law LLB student, Khadija Bashar, was one of those invited and described the summit as incredible: “The whole experience was incredibly enriching and everyone I met made me feel like a part of a supportive community. The environment so welcoming and you could approach anyone and strike up a conversation which led to some really insightful moments!”
Katapult X and Careers+ have previously worked together with networking events, mentoring and knowledge sharing at BCU to help them explore options, develop skills and boost career aspirations.
“Working with a growing and influential social enterprise such as Katapult X can offer a transformational experience for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who can go on to help lead social mobility by connection with leaders from corporations of all sizes,” said Professor Harris Beider, Pro Vice-Chancellor at BCU. “BCU shares values and missions with Katapult X, which is why we were keen to work with them.”
“Going forward, we believe that working with Katapult X will unlock increased opportunities for our students in growing sectors such as technology, as well as building a closer relationship with industries across the world.”