About Us
First Campus is now in its eighth year of operation and continues to increase higher education participation from groups and communities in Wales by raising aspirations, and creating new study opportunities and learning pathways to higher education. It engages with Community First Schools, Community First Officers, Youth Workers and Voluntary / third sector groups engaging those people of all ages who are currently under-represented in higher education.
The aim of the First Campus project from the outset was to engage further with Community First schools to raise the awareness of progression routes into Higher Education for pupils. In particular First campus work towards showing young people that learning is fun and to plant the idea that university is an option for all. Making university facilities available to young people raises their educational aspirations and achievements, and encourages them to progress to higher levels of learning. This still remains a true reflection and commitment of the partnership.
All the projects/programmes delivered are high quality and incorporate active learning skills which can be used in the participant’s future learning opportunities or careers. Awareness of progression routes and potential career opportunities are integral to each project/ programme that is delivered giving an enriched, more rounded learning experience. Participants are made aware of the range and limits of learning and employment opportunities available to ensure informed choices about the extent of further study and career opportunities are possible. It is the partnership’s intention this year to develop further links with Careers Wales to strengthen this aspect.
The First Campus Reaching Wider partnership has developed significantly and is in a strong position to contribute positively to the Welsh Assembly Government’s widening access related priorities indicated in For Our Future and the Reaching Wider targets for working with Communities First areas.
The First Campus Reaching Wider partnership has taken into account the following Assembly expectations for the whole sector;
• Through our work with the parents/ families/ carers of the young people who access our projects, First Campus through its Family Learning programme will collaborate with HEI Widening Access teams, Community First Officers and third sector organisations to develop programmes to reskill and upskill those already in the workforce and those of working age not in the workforce.
• The First Campus partnership has over the past two years worked with Industry and the Mid Glamorgan Education Business Partnership to develop programmes for young people and adults in order to address the needs and requirements of employers; in 2010/11 the partnerships will strengthen and develop further these links, to include Careers Wales.
• Policy addresses NEETs aged 16-18 years; First Campus will focus proactively on 8-14 year olds in order to develop a pre – NEET strategy concentrating on the time when young people are most likely to disengage from education therefore working towards a preventive rather than a reactive measure.
• Welsh Medium (WM) Mentoring; First Campus will continue to offer Mentoring in Welsh to Welsh Medium schools where undergraduate students from partnership universities taking WM modules are trained as Mentors to support mentees in Year 11 at WM schools; this programme promotes WM opportunities within the HE sector, one of the many ways HE can be experienced.
• Through its work First Campus will continue to unveil to many the mystery that still clouds higher education, highlighting to young people, teachers, youth workers, parents, families and carers the choice of ways to access HE. First Campus develops systematic progression pathways with FE partners and 14 -19 networks to support those going from Key Stage 4, to post 16 learning, followed by HE.
• First Campus through its Family Learning programme and in collaboration with Widening Access teams, Communities First Officers and third sector organisations will sign post progression pathways from the workplace, highlighting the notion of shorter, more timely, and flexible higher levels of learning allowing more people in Wales to experience higher education, with higher level skills.
First Campus Child Protection Policy
First Campus wants to ensure that it meets its responsibility to safeguard and protect the children it works with and to ensure that the highest possible standards are maintained. Each HEI within the First Campus partnership has, or is currently finalising, its own Child Protection Policy.
The First Campus Child Protection Policy has been produced in accordance with those policies.
Children in Care and Children Who Care
First Campus is committed to working with 'looked after children' and 'children who care', providing them with opportunities to access First Campus events. If you are a professional working with 'looked after children' or 'children who care' and are interested in First Campus activities or events then please don't hesitate to contact us.
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