Meet Rosie Jones, the Widening Participation Lead at GB Met
This month we’re talking with Rosie Jones, the Widening Participation Lead at GB Met about a new pan-Sussex initiative to support refugee and asylum seeking students through the process of applying for and transitioning to university…
Can you tell us a bit about your role Rosie?
My role involves supporting all under represented students. I encourage them to think about progression pathways they might not have considered and help them overcome the barriers that might stand in their way. In my role I support a wide range of students from care experienced young people through to refugees who have relatively recently arrived in the UK.
What are the particular challenges that young people who are refugees or asylum seekers face when making the step up to university?
There are so many. There are the obvious financial challenges of how to fund that next stage. There are also language barriers and practical issues around how to meet required residency statuses (when these are in a state of flux) and how to provide qualification proof (when documents can’t be accessed or had to be left behind).
But in many cases the biggest barriers are emotional. It can be hard for a young person who has been through a traumatic time to look to their future and believe that university is a realistic aspiration.
How did this initiative come about?
In my role I was being approached by a growing number of young people who are refugees and asylum seekers and realised that the unique challenges they face demanded a tailored approach. Through the Black Asian and Minority Ethnic Insights programme (co-ordinated by SLN), I was already in touch with widening participation leads at the East Sussex College Group and Chichester College Group and we decided to come together to create a joined-up programme of support.
What does the programme involve?
We have been working with two local universities – the University of Brighton and University of Sussex – to create bespoke visits for these students. These tailored visits are invaluable as they allow the universities to go into far greater depth about the unique financial support available and enable our college students to meet ambassador university students from similar backgrounds to theirs.
And because three college groups attended each event, young people have been able to see that they are far from alone and had the opportunity to meet students facing the same challenges.
Why have you only been working with local universities and do you have plans to extend the programme?
We’ve discovered that when individuals have faced so much upheaval in their lives they typically want to stay local and reinforce their new roots, so it made sense to reach out to local universities first.
The first events have been such a success that our ambition is to make them annual and we would love to hear from any other Sussex, Surrey or London based universities that would like to get involved. We would also like to hear from any other Sussex based colleges who would like their students to participate.
What is the most rewarding part of this programme and what would you say to any college or university wanting to get involved?
Without doubt the most rewarding part of my role and of this particular initiative is seeing young people’s self-belief grow. You see young people who have until this point been exclusively focused on practical day-to-day realities and struggles look ahead to a brighter future.
I’d say to any college or university considering signing up to future events – go for it! It’s amazing the impact that even a single day can have in terms of helping these courageous young people see what is possible.
If you would like your college, university or community group to get involved, wanting more information or seeking progression support for a young person you know, please contact: Rosie.Jones@GBMC.ac.uk
And if you are looking for more information about how you can support underrepresented learners in your learning environment go to our Learning4LifeSussex life and learning information hub here.