A panel convened by Northumbria University in Westminster has highlighted a widening gap in higher education access between the North East and London, raising concerns about social mobility. The event, featuring Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith, brought together policymakers, employers, and think tank experts to discuss the issue.
Stark Statistics on Access
According to Northumbria University, only 39.6% of 18-year-olds in the North East access higher education, compared to 60.6% in London. This gap has more than doubled over the past decade.
Panel Participants
The panel was chaired by Katie Perrior, founder and chair of iNHouse Communications and former director of communications in No.10. Other participants included Professor Andy Long, vice-chancellor and chief executive of Northumbria University; Dani Payne, head of education and social mobility at the Social Market Foundation; and Verity Wilson, solution architect at Accenture, who leads a team engaging with North East universities to open up tech routes for underrepresented groups.
Role of Employers
The panel examined how employers can widen opportunity, drawing on Accenture's degree apprenticeship programmes in Newcastle, delivered in partnership with Newcastle College University Centre. They also discussed how skills policy can change employer behaviour across regions.
Northumbria's Impact
About 60% of Northumbria's students are from the North East, with more than 40% from underrepresented backgrounds. Approximately 63% of graduates stay in the region after completing their studies.
Quote from Vice-Chancellor
Professor Andy Long said: "For Northumbria, social mobility isn't a talking point – it is the reason we exist. 40% of our students come from underrepresented backgrounds, and many are the first in their families to go to university. We see every day what changes a young person's trajectory, and it is rarely one thing. It is raising aspirations early, building genuine routes through from school and college, the mentoring and support that helps students stay the course and real-world learning that helps them develop the skills and networks to succeed in work."
He added: "Being an anchor institution means more than having a campus in a region. It means taking responsibility for the economy, the workforce and the young people around you. Almost two-thirds of our graduates stay in the North East and build their careers there. That is what it looks like to invest in talent rather than extract it – and it is a model that deserves to be made sustainable."
