EVERY STUDENT MATTERS

1. EVERY STUDENT MATTERS Nicole Peel August 2014

2. Overview • What is Widening Participation • Background to Widening Participation • Demographics of Australia • Why children in care • UWS • Funding • WP – examples of success • Monitoring/reviewing project management/targeting/evaluation

3. What is Widening Participation? • Widening participation programs aim to maintain the increase in LSES students gaining places in higher education by enhancing their aspirations, self-awareness and confidence so that they can successfully study at university and gain all the advantages and opportunities that tertiary education offers to them, their family, their community and their country. • Testimonial – Fast Forward: Principal, Punchbowl Boys High School“There has been a clear concentration of focus toward tertiary education with increased rates of school attendance, assessment task completion, homework centre attendance… and this cohort positively impacted upon their peers.”

4. Background to WP • ‘Global competitiveness’ - World Economic Forum • need to encourage larger number of students from low socio-economic (LSES) backgrounds into higher education. • Federal government response - Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) • Government focus on the LSES group is based on • individual and community social justice and • economic prosperity. • Widening participation is an essential and integral part of the mission of the University of Western Sydney.

5. Demographics • Only 15% of higher education students are from LSES localities, whereas they are 25% of the Australian population. • 2008 Bradley Report - overall level of skills in the population ‘Australia is losing ground’ which results in a ‘great competitive disadvantage unless immediate action is [to be] taken’. • Government target of 40% of 25 to 34 year old people having at least a bachelor-level qualification by 2020 and; • 20% of higher education enrolments should be students from LSES backgrounds • All age unemployment in Australia is 5.2%, but unemployment for 15–19 year olds is 17.3% and for 15–24 year olds ‘available and willing’ to work, unemployment is 26%. • The number of students commencing higher education increased 4% in 2012; in addition, of those the number who were from a LSES background increased by 9.1% compared with 2011.

6. Why Kids in Care • WHY NOT!! • Underrepresented in HE • Disadvantage • Overrepresented in detention centres • Transitioning when others are studying • UWS only University working with children in care

7. UWS Overview • UWS have campuses throughout Greater Western Sydney – Bankstown, Nirimba (Blacktown), Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Lithgow, Parramatta, Penrith and Westmead. • UWS College Nirimba, Westmead, Bankstown, Lithgow • Diploma Courses then UWS

8. Funding • Two sources of Federal Government funding for widening participation programs in UWS: • Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Program (HEPPP) • Bridges to Higher Education (Bridges) programs • 2013 UWS received $2.3m in funding. • Widening participation in two categories: • Access • Retention

9. HEPPP 2014 Projects

10. Bridges 2014 Projects

11. WP examples of success • Fast Forward – progression to HE • 2013, 103 student offers from UWS to Fast Forward students • Over 90% of the commencing Fast Forward students came from schools in LSES areas. • Retention: 2012 82.3% of students stayed with their studies compared with the sector average of 80%. • UWS have campuses throughout Greater Western Sydney – Bankstown, Nirimba (Blacktown), Campbelltown, Hawkesbury, Lithgow, Parramatta, Penrith and Westmead.

12. Kids in Care (KiC) • Target Group • Higher Education taster days • Carers sessions • Scholarships • Events • KiC Club • Cake Club • Care Coordinator

13. Project Methodology • Targeting policy • Project reports • Project reviews • Evaluations