University of Bradford: Opportunity Anchors – Opportunity Action Plan

Introduction

Opportunity Anchors

FOR OPPORTUNITY AREAS

Forewords

Forewords

Rt Hon Justine Greening Founder of the Social Mobility Pledge & Former Secretary of State for Education

Growing up in Rotherham in the 70s and 80s, I had first-hand experience

of lack of opportunity and saw how it impacted my own family. When my

father lost his job in the steel industry, he spent a year struggling to find any job openings locally. Even as I reached adulthood, the continued absence

of enough opportunity on the doorstep was still evident in the choices faced by my own generation – to either move away in pursuit of the opportunities we wanted or to stay locally, but accept that those opportunities would be

more limited at home. Although places like Rotherham had a huge amount

of talent, without opportunity available to make the most of it, it flowed out of the town and the region to where opportunity was.

It’s why as Education Secretary, I oversaw the launch of the Opportunity Area programme in 2016 to ensure that there was the focus and strategy in place needed to truly boost local talent through improving education in places like Bradford. The scheme brought schools, local universities, employers, councils, local health service and other organisations together to ensure a joined up, locally owned set of education priorities that were driven by an evidence base and backed up with initial funding.

The Opportunity Areas approach identified that for too long education initiatives had been pushed out nationally from Whitehall with an unrealistic expectation that they would somehow impact very different communities in the same way. Overall there were 12 Opportunity Areas, with Bradford part of the first wave. The initial investment of £72m Government funding to put them into action has been followed up with a further £18m of funding announced for the scheme in 2020.

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A Social Mobility Commission report in June 2020 highlighted that the Opportunity Area approach has been the only place-based social mobility strategy introduced by the Government.

It has been effective because it is successful in not only joining up all stakeholders together at a local level to deliver what that particular area needs but also having direct involvement of officials from the Department for Education, avoiding the other traditional mistake of disconnecting the Whitehall team from what was happening on the ground.

However, the Opportunity Area approach in Bradford is able to have a wider impact. It can not only ensure the development of the city’s talent, but also act as a catalyst for connecting it up to opportunity locally. The University of Bradford has played a key role in doing this in its early stages. Working in tandem with employers, through the Graduate Workforce Bradford initiative, the University of Bradford effectively acts as an opportunity anchor, not only ensuring

Forewords

that the talent pipeline can be fully developed but crucially also going beyond that to connect those young people up to careers and roles within the Bradford area. Accompanied by the much wider work that the University is doing to widen participation in higher education, it is also giving more confidence to employers looking to invest in the city. Many young people want to stay local.

This work gives them real choices so opportunity isn’t just accessed by Bradford’s talent feeling it needs to leave the city.

The opportunity anchor approach by the University of Bradford is better for young people, better for employers and better for Bradford. The connector role that the University of Bradford plays between education and opportunity will be crucial in the coming months and years.

The challenges that already existed are being magnified as a result of COVID 19 and will likely see those on lower incomes and the young suffering most as a result.

There is no doubt that progressing the levelling up agenda is fundamental to Britain’s future - a wider effort is needed to combat Britain’s weak social mobility. But many of those solutions will need to be locally tailored and owned if they are to succeed. The work that the University of Bradford has helped pioneer through the Bradford Opportunity Area and Graduate Workforce Bradford initiative can provide a template for how an overall vision to spread talent and opportunity evenly can be achieved in practice. The employment focus should now be reflected more formally in the next stage of the Bradford Opportunity Area, so that it can be developed still more ambitiously.

As this report shows, the University demonstrates best practice in addressing those personal barriers to social mobility with effective support for its students and a social mobility ethos which flourishes across the whole region. This could be replicated by other universities for the benefit of less privileged communities across the country.

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Forewords

Forewords

Professor Shirley Congdon Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford

When I took up my role as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bradford in August 2019, I was clear that I wanted to use my position to promote equality and diversity and challenge the structural issues in society that hold people back. I have my own experience of this. I started my working life as a nurse and entered academia as a lecturer practitioner, going on to specialise in health and social care studies before holding a number of senior management posts. Along the way, I came across people who would question my route to in the sector. Now that I am Vice-Chancellor, it is my mission to ensure that young people of can achieve their ambitions and fulfil their potential, whatever their background.

I am proud of the University of Bradford’s deep committed to social mobility. We were delighted that our long-standing contributions to promoting social inclusion were recognised by the award of Times/Sunday Times University of the Year for Social Inclusion 2020.

It is essential that universities like ourselves work closely with regional partners and structures, such as the Bradford Opportunity Area, to develop and implement tailored approaches to supporting young people in our region.

This award, and ranking 3rd out of 130 UK universities, reflects our enduring focus on social inclusion and enabling students from socially and economically diverse backgrounds to maximise their talents while achieving positive academic and graduate employment outcomes.

Working with our partners in schools, colleges, business, the local authority and others, such as the Bradford Institute for Health Research, our committed team has created a powerful alliance, working effectively and with passion to support inclusion and reduce inequality. We care deeply about social inclusion and will continue to focus on removing barriers to access and participation in higher education and enhancing the prospects of all our students.

As Vice-Chancellor, my focus is to ensure that the our University works in and for the Bradford region to promote social mobility, and to support our region to grow and prosper.

It is essential that universities like ourselves work closely with regional partners and structures, such as the Bradford Opportunity Area, to develop and implement tailored approaches to supporting young people in our region.

We were delighted to sign up to the Social Mobility Pledge to demonstrate our commitment to social mobility and to working with other like-minded institutions to achieve sustained improvements in opportunity, particularly for people in the Bradford region. Our Social Mobility Insight Report demonstrates the impact that regionallyrooted partnerships can have.

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The Opportunity Gap

The Opportunity Gap 1 > The UK’s social mobility problem Social mobility is typically measured as the difference between a person’s occupation or income and that of their parents. When there is a weak link, there is a high level of inequality, while a strong one suggests a low level of social mobility.¹ Social mobility levels in the UK have been stagnant for years. This means that those born into deprivation are statistically likely to remain in those circumstances throughout their lives.2 A Broken Social Elevator? How to Promote Social Mobility reports that, given current levels of inequality and intergenerational earnings mobility, it could take at least five generations, or 150 years, for the child of a poor family to reach the average income, on average across OECD countries. One in three children with a low earning father will also have low earnings while, for most of the other two-thirds, upward mobility is limited to the neighbouring earnings group.

Unsurprisingly, this is not uniform across the globe as social mobility has different rates in different countries. It can take just two to three generations to reach that average income in the Nordic countries but nine or more in some emerging economies.

Globalisation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution have successfully helped to reduce extreme poverty and eradicate famine. While celebrating that success, however, it cannot

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be denied that the flipside is that they have also deepened inequalities by transferring low-skilled jobs in high-productivity sectors in high-income economies to lower-income counterparts.

The OECD’s report also highlighted that, whereas many people born to low-educated parents between 1955 and 1975 enjoyed income mobility, this has stagnated for those born after 1975.

Over the four-year period looked at by the report, about 60 per cent of people remained trapped in the lowest 20 per cent income bracket, while 70 per cent remained at the top.

At the same time, one in seven middle-class households, and one in five people living closer to lower incomes, fell into the bottom 20 per cent.

This is borne out by the Social Mobility Pledge’s own research which reveals that, in the UK, young people are finding it harder to progress in the workplace than their parents or grandparents did.

Its study3 of 2,000 people revealed that most UK workers believe breaking through the ‘class-ceiling’ is harder for young people now than it was for earlier generations. A majority (60 per cent) of workers aged 35 to 64 believe economically disadvantaged people in the generation below them have a harder time advancing their careers than those one generation older.

The poll also asked thousands of workers aged between 18 and 64 to score how easy

¹ 1"About us - Social Mobility Commission - GOV.UK." https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/social-mobility-commission/about. Accessed 28 Nov. 2019.

2 2"State of the Nation 2017: Social Mobility in Great Britain." https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/ file/662744/State_of_the_Nation_2017_-_Social_Mobility_in_Great_Britain.pdf. Accessed Nov. 2019. ³ https://www.socialmobilitypledge.org/news/2019/2/2/class-diversityat-work-worse-now-than-decades-agonbsp

The Opportunity Gap

it is to get on in life, regardless of background, in the UK. With one being ‘very hard’ and 10 being ‘very easy’, an average score of five was registered, although a quarter of those polled rated it ‘hard’ or ‘very hard’.

the same time, improving the communities in which they are found. It is crucial for us all that they adapt and consider new ways of working to make sure opportunities are directed at those who need them most.

Getting on as a disadvantaged young person, is either ‘difficult’ or ‘very difficult’, according to the majority (54 per cent) of respondents, rising to 62 per cent in London.

The Social Mobility Pledge has been set up to highlight and address these issues in the UK and, in doing so, to level up opportunity and build a fairer society. It encourages organisations to be a force for good by putting social mobility at the heart of their purpose.

By sharing their own best practice with other businesses and universities, they are not only demonstrating their own commitment but creating a powerful shift towards purpose-led organisations.

Only 44 per cent of respondents said progressing in life regardless of background is easier in the UK than elsewhere in the world.

Universities are crucial in facilitating an individual’s route to better opportunity and, at

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The Opportunity Gap

2 > Coronavirus The Office for Budget Responsibility’s Covid Reference Scenario predicts that the UK economy will contract by 35 per cent, with unemployment potentially peaking at 10 million.

But, just like the issue of social obility, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is varied across the UK. While the 35 per cent national average figure is high in itself, it is the case that some areas – predominantly in the North West and Midlands – will see their economic growth reduce by almost 50 per cent. Only one of the twenty hardest hit areas are in the South East or London.

In addition to the significant diversity of geographic impact estimated by the Centre for Progressive Policy, the Resolution Foundation points to previous data suggesting that there is likely to be a large impact on those leaving full time education and graduating into an economy in the midst of turmoil.

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In the 2008 recession, the unemployment rate across the whole population rose from 5.2 per cent in 2007 to 8.5 per cent in 2011; for those with GCSE equivalent qualifications the unemployment figures were 22 per cent in 2007 and 32 per cent in 2011.

Large numbers of young people are now in the jobs market having had their career pathways significantly disrupted. One in three young people under 25 are employed in the three sectors most affected by the pandemic - travel, hospitality and retail. It has the potential to leave a long-term legacy of unemployment and will certainly impact those from disadvantaged backgrounds and on low incomes the most.

Coronavirus has shone a spotlight on the inequality that already exists and data suggests that it will have a varied and profound impact across locations, ages and education levels. It is clear that the universities which do best as we recover from the crisis will be those that have stepped up to the mark in recent months for their students and their communities. We need them now to lead the way in delivering solutions and sharing best practice.

The Opportunity Gap

for young people at every stage of their formative years and it is becoming clear that we are at risk of a lost generation.

The impact on those in the education system in these more disadvantaged communities is obvious.

Education closes the gaps between the life chances of different young people. Research by the Sutton Trust showed that underpredicting of grades of BAME and disadvantaged young people is significantly more likely to happen than for their better off counterparts.

Unfortunately this year’s A Level results confusion has shown that they are precisely the group that has suffered the most. That has inevitably harmed their chances of getting into the university they were aiming for and those higher education institutions will find themselves on the front line in trying to prevent a further widening of the opportunity gap.

3 > Opportunity gap The impact of coronavirus across locations, ages and education levels also has an impact for social mobility in the UK. Our research shows that eight of 14 measures used to calculate social mobility will be impacted.

We have used existing place based social mobility analysis together with the predicted impact of coronavirus to examine the size of a community’s ‘Opportunity Gap’.

From our analysis we believe there are 16 areas in England at risk of a ‘double opportunity hit’.

Already amongst the worst areas for social mobility, they are going to be particularly badly hit by coronavirus. Those in the top 20 per cent, with the largest opportunity gap are referred to as COVID Opportunity Coldspots.

This opportunity deficit overwhelmingly impacts people from more disadvantaged communities and backgrounds and the gaps start opening up from the very start. Coronavirus widens that opportunity gap

For those relying on part-time work that is now no longer available, university may even become unaffordable. Other students may have previously found it a struggle but nevertheless managed to balance study with wider family and financial responsibilities. For those already on a course, it may mean they simply cannot afford to see it through to the end and drop out. This would be a dramatic backward step on social mobility.

The University of Bradford’s experience, detailed in this report, demonstrates that it is possible to improve outcomes for their students in an institution that is rooted in the community. It has shown that targeted support keeps students on track despite the financial and cultural challenges that could hinder their progress and its strong links with employers develop a pool of talent which benefits the local area.

This report shows how the University of Bradford has successfully addressed social mobility by acting as an opportunity anchor for the community of Bradford.

It contains insights into best practices which have worked well and which have had a positive outcome on the community. It features case studies which illustrate the impact that its approach has had on individuals and analysis focusing on the community in which it operates.

The Opportunity Action Plan also considers how the University of Bradford might work with other higher education institutions to extend this best practice to other parts of the country, to empower other local communities. It also suggests possible next steps and recommendations for further action.

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Best Practice

Best Practice Innovations An Introduction to Best Practice Innovations

The University of Bradford is an institution which has embraced

its role as a catalyst for social mobility – in an area in which it is much needed.

A local authority report published in 2018 shows that Bradford is ranked as the fifth most income deprived area in England[7]2.

Over a fifth (22 per cent) of children are living below the poverty line, while there are just 0.69 jobs per person of working age in the city.

The University of Bradford was recognised as University of the Year for Social Inclusion 2020 by the Times and Sunday Times for its outstanding impact on social inclusion which ensures that all students, irrespective of background, are supported to achieve their potential and go on to achieve success.

Bradford is an ethnically diverse district and home to the largest proportion of people of Pakistani ethnic origin (20 per cent) in England[8]3.

Key achievements at the University of Bradford include:

It has a proud history of welcoming newcomers to the UK and the University is a key player in that. Bradford is officially recognised as a City of Sanctuary[9]4 for this welcoming approach, and support networks for refugees and asylum seekers are well established in the city. The University of Bradford was one of the UK’s first Universities of Sanctuary.

The number of students coming to the University of Bradford from postcodes where traditionally participation in higher education was lowest is rising faster than in the rest of the UK as a whole.

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• More than 70% of its intake is BAME. • More than 50% of students are from the most socio-economically deprived areas.

• The number of students coming to the University of Bradford from postcodes where traditionally participation in higher education was lowest is rising faster than in the rest of the UK as a whole.

• One of the lowest black attainment gaps in the country (comparing the proportions of black and white students who gain firsts or 2:1s).

• Continuation rates of students drawn from the most deprived areas is 92% compared with the sector average of 85.9%.

On campus, the University of Bradford has designed its many policies and practices to factor in cultural barriers to social mobility, as well as economic, gender-driven, personal and healthrelated ones.

The University is taking on the specific challenges which stop many people of black, Asian and

Best Practice

minority ethnicity (BAME) origin benefiting from social mobility.

It is forging new routes towards rewarding careers for people whose circumstances would otherwise have thwarted their progression and prevented them from fulfilling their potential.

Bradford is ranked 55th out of 131 Higher Education Institutions for its graduate prospects by the Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide 2021. 91 per cent of the University’s UK full time graduates are employed or go onto further studies after their degree course, while 76 per cent are in a professional or managerial position 15 months of graduation (HESA 2017/18 Graduate Outcomes Survey) The University is raising aspirations in its local communities and the wider Yorkshire region too. Around 70 per cent of graduates remain in Yorkshire after graduation to pursue their chosen careers.

The University also runs a diverse outreach programme which encourages social mobility for people who may or may not ultimately study there. It also has thriving relationships with 100 businesses in the region, helping to create a clear path from enrolment to career fulfilment.

Despite its challenges, Bradford remains a city on the up. A study published by PwC and the think-tank Demos in November 2019 ranked 42 UK cities in terms of jobs, health, income, skill levels, work-life balance, housing affordability and commuting times[10]5. It showed that the City’s unemployment rate fell from 10 per cent in 2015 to 4.1 per cent in 2018. Bradford was also named “as the year’s top improver, driven by jobs, work-life balance and skills among its 25 plus-year-olds”.

The University is at the heart of such findings, boosting skills, employability and aspirations on campus and across Yorkshire.

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Best Practice

Best Practice in Action The following sections set out the University of Bradford’s best practices in terms of driving social mobility.

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The University also has a strategic approach to boosting interest among school pupils in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM). Many industries related to these subjects are growing rapidly while also beset by skills shortages. Well paid and rewarding careers await those who choose to pursue them.

INSPIRING SOCIAL MOBILITY ACROSS BRADFORD’S SCHOOLS

The University’s STEM centre has taken a number of steps to increase interest in these vital subjects, including:

Every secondary school and college in the Bradford district is considered a target of the University in terms of encouraging young people to consider higher education.

Activities, such as peer mentoring and outreach events, are designed to engage low participation groups.

• Running curriculum-based work within schools • Hosting residential experiences of university life in which STEM options are promoted • Recruitment of three full-time equivalent personnel to work with schools with a high proportion of low attainment children aged nine to 13.

Best Practice

performance will be eligible to receive an offer one A Level grade below the standard offer (for most programmes) and will also be eligible to receive an additional eight UCAS points from attendance at outreach events.

The institution also has a well-run ‘widening participation’ programme which targets five main demographics: • Mature students • Care experienced students • People from low participation neighbourhoods (POLAR4 Q1/2) • Refugees / asylum seekers • White, working class boys.

The programme sees the University working closely with schools and colleges on various initiatives designed to increase the engagement from these applicant groups.

The University works creatively to engage with these often hard-to-reach groups. For example: • The University works in partnership with rugby league club Bradford Bulls to learn from white, working class boys about how it could better engage with them.

FAIR AND OPEN APPLICATIONS Contextual admissions put the applicant’s academic achievements and potential in the context of their individual situation. Information factored into the process might include the person’s socio-economic circumstances such as where they were brought up or which school they attended. Spending formative years in care could also be considered as an important consideration, and refugees and asylum seekers and those returning to study are also able to make use of the scheme..

The University of Bradford implemented this approach from 2019 entry as part of its continual efforts to increase its positive influence on social mobility. Individuals whose situation may have limited their pre-application academic

• It supports and is involved in festivals which attract people from across the city, including refugees and asylum seekers. These events are an opportunity to meet and inspire members of what is an under-represented group on campus.

• Bradford is one of eight universities who participated in a pilot to develop a framework for the assessment of care leavers. It is also part of the Care Leaver Covenant – a strand of the government’s ‘keep on caring’ strategy that supports people leaving care to become independent.

The University works closely with the Go Higher West Yorkshire collaborative outreach consortium, and is part of the Office for Students’ UniConnect programme, which offers activities, advice and guidance on the benefits and realities of going to University through local hubs.

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Best Practice

The University operates a Student Support Fund which is designed to create a level playing field for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing grants to help students with essential living costs.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT The Student Support Fund is designed to create a level playing field for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The University has a large package of scholarships and bursaries for households with an annual income of less than £30,000, and in particular offers an academic achievement scholarship on students from low participation neighbourhoods. There is also financial support for care experienced students, estranged students, and refugees and asylum seekers.

Other social mobility-enhancing processes within its financial approach include the use of nonstandard assessments.

These allow for each application to be considered individually, exploring any barriers that may be preventing the applicant from funding their studies.

The University operates a Student Support Fund which is designed to create a level playing field for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds by providing grants to help students with essential living costs.

The Fund acts as a safety net for students suffering from financial hardship and the following groups are classed as priority applicants: • Care experienced students • Estranged students • Student with caring responsibilities • Disabled students.

Students receiving support through the fund report that it has been a key factor in helping them to continue with their studies.

ADDRESSING PERSONAL BARRIERS TO SOCIAL MOBILITY Disabilities, learning difficulties and mental health issues can unfairly prevent individuals from achieving social mobility.

The University of Bradford comprehensively addresses these challenges to give its students the best possible chance of progression towards their dream careers.

• All students are screened for learning difficulties at the start of their journey within the University. Often such challenges have not been picked up by the school system but, once identified, can be appropriately managed to aid the student’s progress. Around 250 students per year go on to a second, more in-depth learning difficulty test after the initial scan.

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Best Practice

• An educational psychologist is on hand to support students who require their intervention.

Around 200 students will see the educational psychologist each term, the vast majority of whom have some form of learning difficulties.

• The University has eight full-time staff whose primary focus is disability.

• There are two dedicated mental health advisors within the University’s Counselling and Mental Health Service, as well as counsellors.

• People affected by disability and learning difficulties can also benefit from the student support service MyBradford, which provides a one-stop shop and single point of contact for all services.

• There are a number of trained mental health first aid personnel among the University staff.

• The University works in partnership with the Bradford District Care Trust to provide access to MyWellbeing College mental health provision on campus and continues to review and expand its partnership work with local organizations.

• Following a successful project run by the Office for Students, the University is now operating peer support networks to support mental wellbeing.

EMPOWERING EMPLOYERS TO INCREASE SOCIAL MOBILITY Progression to employment is particularly strong at the University of Bradford. Crucially, as well as raising the job prospects of its students, it is also breaking down barriers in employment.

For example, the University noted several years ago that the demographic of people progressing into healthcare careers was not representative of Bradford’s diverse population. The University made a concerted push to investigate and challenge reasons for this, including cultural factors. While these efforts are ongoing, it now has a diverse flow of graduates moving into exciting healthcare careers.

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Best Practice

summer experience programmes for potential future students and existing ones.

Central to the University’s employability performance is its role within the new Graduate Workforce Bradford project. This sees the institution working in partnership with a number of parties with influence over job markets in the city such as:

The overall employability framework at The University consists of: • Nurturing academic achievement via a curriculum created in partnership with employers • Providing work-based learning through inprogramme and extra-curricular activities • Boosting employability capabilities inprogramme and via the Bradford Employability Award, which recognises students who are excelling at standing out from the crowd as potential employees • Career planning and management skills through dedicated services and activities within the University.

Essential to the above are employer partnerships with the University. These enable a range of activities including business networking opportunities, mentoring, job coaching, enterprise support and projects and competitions, solving real industry problems.

The University is also able to arrange local, national and international placements that might further boost social mobility by giving students a taste of working in their dream careers.

In terms of boosting employability, the University runs 50+ extra-curricular initiatives, including

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• West Yorkshire Police • Bradford Council’s SkillsHouse • Bradford Council’s Integrated Communities Programme • The Education Development Trust (National Careers Service) • The Department for Work and Pensions • Bradford Chamber of Commerce • Bradford Health and Social Care Economic Partnership • QED (an ethnic minorities support organisation) • Kidmat Centres (which runs two community centres largely for vulnerable people in Bradford) • Bradford Trident (a community “anchor” organisation supporting community interests in Bradford) • Bradford Opportunity Area (a governmentbacked plan to improve opportunities for children and young people) • Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership The partnership is able to research and analyse access to opportunities in Bradford from all angles. This intelligence, which focuses on Bradford’s graduate workforce and talent pool plus sector and community events, is then used to inform meaningful actions.

While helping to improve social mobility generally, it is also mindful of two Bradfordspecific problem areas: 1. The unemployment and underemployment of BAME graduates 2. The recruitment, skills gap and diversity challenges of three priority sectors – health and social care, engineering and manufacturing and public services.

The project seeks to develop deep insight into the extent of place and culture-based decision making in BAME student and graduate career

Best Practice

choices. It also aims to embed a focus on the graduate workforce into business support services and the recruitment planning processes of all project partners.

In terms of building the student and graduate talent pool, measures implemented include enhanced one-to-one coaching in careers, jobs and enterprise. Also, more diversity training and an increase in support for unemployed and underemployed BAME graduates.

Focus on sector and community events encompasses: • Discussions about real and perceived barriers to progression in highly skilled graduate level employment • Identifying and testing innovative, creative solutions • Building positive relationships to foster a greater understanding and trust between BAME communities and business • Increasing the sharing of information and access to local labour market information.

The Graduate Workforce Bradford project aims to make a significant impact on graduate employment in the Bradford region by working creatively with local and regional employers and community groups. Examples of specific initiatives underway through the project include: SkillsHouse Partnership – GWB is working closely with SkillsHouse and the SkillsHouse Partnership to implement a district wide model of employability coaching, targeted at those unemployed, and a district wide model of business support services, with a focus on supporting workforce recruitment and development Inclusive Employer Network – working with Bradford4Everyone and Grant Thornton, GWB is facilitating a network of 28 Bradford based employers to engage with the development of a Maturity Inclusion Toolkit. The second phase of this activity will see the toolkit trialled by those trailblazer businesses and refined before further roll out to Bradford businesses.

South Asian Community Forum – GWB has initiated the South Asian Community Forum to create a space for open dialogue on a range

of themes relating to career, employability, employment. The forum aims to be an enabler to gaining shared understanding, informing practice, identifying influencers and role models, and communicating information about career and employment opportunities.

Graduate2Work programme – working in partnership with the DWP/JobCentre Plus and Aspire-Igen, GWB developed and delivered a new 13 week programme (4 cohort, 2019/2020) for unemployed graduates. Evaluation of this programme has informed future GWB practice models and DWP commissioning rounds.

BEST PRACTICE OUTCOMES The University of Bradford’s social mobility best practices are an integral part of its success as a university, as shown below: • 91 per cent of graduates go on to find permanent employment or undertake further studies within fifteen months of graduation.

• Of the 78 per cent that find employment, 76 per cent are in professional or management roles.

• 70 per cent stay on to work in Yorkshire and the Humber.

• The University is ranked 55th out of 131 UK institutions for the quality of its graduates.

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Case Studies

Case Studies Kiram Hussain

Civil and Structural Engineering 2017 Graduate Graduate Engineer/Sub Agent, Colas, Leeds

Please tell us about your current job.

I’m a graduate engineer/sub agent at Colas Limited in Leeds. Colas is a leading contracting company that delivers sustainable solutions for the design, construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure including highways, airfields and structures. Colas also manufactures its own bitumen and emulsion products.

When I first started working at Colas, I was based on site as a trainee setting out engineer working on a range of projects doing land surveying, levelling and using different instruments. Now I am progressing and working under site agents, typically as a trainee sub-agent, managing my own small schemes. I work with project managers to pre-plan works for schemes; I’m involved with the programming of the works, controlling budgets, preparing material and machinery orders, etc.

Day-to-day I’m mainly based on site, but as the year progresses I’ll be involved in the office a lot more to develop my awareness of the project management side of the business.

Working on site is very interesting though, there is so much to see.

Did you face any challenges in your career journey so far?

At the start I lacked in confidence, and when I started on site I was working with numerous people. That was really nerve racking in the beginning, but you get used to it. You learn to overcome those challenges as time goes on; I built friendships at work and finally came out of my shell.

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I am the only female at my base who works on site a lot; we do have other females who work in the office such as quantity surveyors and admin staff, but being the only female on site seemed like a bit of a challenge as I’d never been in that environment before.

Everyone at Colas made me feel very welcome though and it was not as scary as it appeared at first. Sometimes being a woman in construction works better for you! My gender has never been a problem for me working in this company, I always feel like I belong.

Was the location of the job ever a potential barrier stopping you from getting where you wanted to be?

No, I’d be willing to do anything for my career and didn’t mind the idea of moving.

Luckily, I got a job at the Leeds base meaning I didn’t have to move out or travel far.

Tell us about how you got into the job and the application process.

I graduated in 2017 but I had family commitments that meant I didn’t start applying for graduate roles until spring 2018.

I applied on Indeed for lots of opportunities including Colas, and completely forgot I applied there until a few months later when I received a call from them. The application process included an assessment day which involved a standard one-to-one interview, a presentation on a given topic, a team activity and aptitude tests. I found it a fun approach to testing a person’s confidence and team building skills, as well as their abilities to perform specific tasks and respond to a range of different situations.

Case Studies

What did you study at the University of Bradford? Was this something you have always been interested in?

I studied Civil and Structural Engineering. When I was younger I wasn’t sure of the path I wanted to take, but when I discussed it with my tutors at secondary school, they always recommended ‘STEM subject’ careers as they give you a wider range of possibilities due to the high demand in these fields. I have always been interested in Maths and problem solving so I decided I wanted to go into the engineering division. Civil engineering stood out to me a lot and I’m very happy with where I am now.

I am the only female at my base who works on site a lot; being the only female on site seemed like a bit of a challenge as I’d never been in that environment before. Everyone at Colas made me feel very welcome though and it was not as scary as it appeared at first. Sometimes being a woman in construction works better for you! My gender has never been a problem for me working in this company, I always feel like I belong.

Did you feel prepared for the world of work once you finished studying?

I was studying Civil and Structural Engineering and the modules were mainly based on building design and steel structures instead of highway design, but in my third year there was an optional transportation module, which I chose to study and it turned out to be very useful. I would say that I’d have been more prepared if I had chosen a role that included steelwork design, however, I love the role I am in now and I’ve learnt a lot at Colas.

What advice would you give our current students based on your experiences?

Well if I could go back and do it again, I would work harder - I would make sure I worked hard from day one in my first year at University. I would advise students to start as they mean to go on and don’t let their work build up because they’ll panic as they get closer to their exams, especially in their final year. Their dissertations are their masterpieces so they should most definitely put a lot of effort and careful planning into them. Build a good friendship with your tutors and use the Career and Employability Service. I had mock interviews and the career consultants helped me review my CV and cover letters.

I didn’t do a placement year but I would highly recommend current students to do one as it gives them an insight into the world of work and builds up confidence, as well as boosting their employability after graduation.

Also, be confident, be yourself and don’t hold back. Do extracurricular activities to boost your CV and profile, sometimes having a lack of experience could have an impact on being given an opportunity.

Become a STEM ambassador and work with younger students. Education and experience are equally important, but companies often look at what you do outside of work. Most importantly, join a professional institution; it will make you more employable and it will help to build your future in your career (I am a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers).

Do you have any personal career aspirations? Where do you hope to be in the next five years?

Where I am now and the way I am progressing is perfect for me. I am hoping to get to project manager level, although that will take a long time, but there’s a lot to learn on the way and I’m looking forward to it.

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CASE STUDY Ioana Grosu

BA Politics (2018) Programme Management Officer, PwC, London

Why did you apply to the University of Bradford? What was your first impression of the university and the city? What did you enjoy most about your time in Bradford?

At first, I applied to the University of Bradford for its famous Department of Peace Studies and International Development and for how modern and well-equipped the classes were. However, having started my course, the University was so much more than my initial thinking and provided me with an infinity of opportunities. Everyone is extremely helpful and while studying, you can rest assured that someone will help you with whatever questions you may have.

Why did you choose that particular course?

What did you like and enjoy most about your course?

Politics is everywhere and affects everyone, and studying this course opens up the doors to the world for its students. But studying Politics at the University of Bradford is a different experience. The lecturers always make time for you and act as mentors and not just giving lectures for a few hours a week. The engagement in my department pushed me to want to do better with every assignment handed in, and the lecturers engaged different learning approaches which did not make any two courses the same!

Apart from the formal learning environment, the Department organised different activities such as trips to the Belfast (Northern Ireland), the Hague (Netherlands) where we visited the International Criminal Court, International Criminal Tribunal for Former

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Yugoslavia and international NGOs. The Department also runs an annual UN Model meeting outside of Bradford, where for two days you are asked to defend your given position in a changing environment scenario giving us a flavour of what it is to work in the field. All these activities enhanced our learning by mixing studies, networking and fun. In my case, I attended everything I could but by far the best opportunity I got was to be awarded by the Department with a Summer School Scholarship to study nuclear disarmament in Hiroshima, Japan.

What tips would you give to prospective students about the course at University of Bradford and the university itself?

Take every opportunity you can, ask questions, engage with everyone around you and don’t be afraid; both in the Department but also across the University, there are people who are more than happy to help you and give you their best advice.

Make yourself visible to lecturers, fellow students, Student Union and Career and Employability Services. The more activities you get engaged in, the more your network and opportunities grow and hence, success ratio!

At the University of Bradford, everything is possible, and the sky is the limit! If one mark wasn’t right, one interview didn’t go well, or something happened in your personal life, don’t worry, ask people around you and you will find your direction. I have done that myself and I can assure everyone that it works. Here at the University, everyone

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lifts everyone up and as long as you let people know, they will definitely help. The whole environment at the university seeks to make its students well-rounded persons not just people with knowledge.

If anything, remember that nobody will knock on your dorm door with opportunities and that you are the only one in charge of shaping your university life and experience.

How did Career and Employability Services support you during your time at University?

Career and Employability Services helped me throughout my three years of studies and beyond that. Through Summer Experience, I had my first internship in Bradford between my second and third year.

For that, I worked as a Support Worker for CentrePoint – an organisation working with young homeless people.

While in my final year, the service organised events with different employers, and that’s how I found out about the Civil Service Internships which I started at the end of my studies and remained in the Civil Service, gaining important experience for another 1 year and 3 months after my internship finished.

There are paid and unpaid opportunities within the University campus, such as Student Ambassador and Peer Assisted Learning Leader (PAL Leader) - both of which I have been involved while at university; these activities will give you the transferable skills you need for any job you will apply after university.

The Career and Employability Services helped me through the whole process of getting a job. From writing my first professional CV, job searching and application checks, all the way to mock interviews.

Tell us about your current job.

In my current role, which I started in Feb 2020, I work as part of the Programme Management Office of a large IT Programme.

Some of my responsibilities include managing the programme’s plan, creating board packs for senior management, assure the financial stability of the Programme and report against the project plan.

Remember that nobody will knock on your dorm door with opportunities and that you are the only one in charge of shaping your university life and experience.

What action did you take to improve your employability whilst at University?

I acted with urgency and knew that my time at University won’t last forever, and that I should use the resources around me to pave my future. I tried to suppress any thought of ‘I’ll do it next semester’ or ‘I will do it next year’ and sometimes even if dark spots of doubt where in my head, I showed up to meet the Career Consultant, participated in PAL training, or whatever might have been, and took it from there … sooner is better than later!

In addition, as stated above, I grabbed every opportunity available to gain practical experience in the UK, as well as overseas – these opportunities differentiate me from other candidates who are applying for similar roles.

What advice would you give to current students wishing to enter this type of career?

Internships and university experience always leave employers impressed because it shows that you are more than the marks you score.

I believe that for any type of career you may want to go on, an internship and extra experience (particularly relevant experience) will always help.

I believe that the recipe for getting a job at the end of university is the same for every career path and that starts with being curious, asking questions and engage with the Career and Employability Services as early as possible!

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opportunities the university is providing, including those not directly linked to your department.

Becoming a Student Representative and getting involved with workshops offered by both Career and Employability Services and the Language Centre… it all proved to be extremely valuable after graduating.

Marijke Synhaeve

MA International Development Management (2015) Senior Consultant Health Care, Berenschot, Netherlands Why did you apply to the University of Bradford?

What was your first impression of the University and the city, and what did you enjoy most about your time in Bradford?

After my Bachelor in Anthropology, I wanted to do a Master’s degree which combined both theoretical and practical knowledge. The University of Bradford was offering this on the topic of project management. I truly enjoyed this one year of studying: I was surrounded by enthusiastic university students with different backgrounds and dedicated teachers with in-depth knowledge and a willingness to help me get the most out of myself. Bradford itself is surrounded by beautiful countryside, offers the best curries in the world and is only a fifteen minutes ride away from Leeds, where there are numerous concerts for upcoming bands.

Why did you choose that particular course? What did you like and enjoy most about your course?

Looking back, the most valuable part of the study was not the transmission of theoretical knowledge (although that definitely made me a much better project manager), but the competencies I gained: Firstly, in order to become successful – be it as a student or as a professional – one should really understand a topic and not just study it.

True knowledge is knowledge that is internalised.

Secondly, the study gave me much more insight into the type of manager/leader I am and the way I could compile the most complementary team (and the pitfalls).

What tips would you give to prospective students about the course at University of Bradford and the University itself?

As Steve Jobs said: “Work hard, play hard”.

Furthermore, I would suggest that they grab the

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How did Career and Employability Services support you during your time at University?

During my MSc, I participated in various workshops offered by Career and Employability Services on writing motivation letters, CVs, job interviews etc. Once I was applying for jobs, Careers helped me to be fully prepared for the assessments which included a full day of numerical and verbal reasoning tests, diagrammatic tests, personality tests, role plays etc.

Tell us about your current job.

As a Senior Consultant in one of the largest consultancy businesses in the Netherlands, I am providing municipalities, healthcare providers, the Association of Dutch Municipalities and the ministries with advice on the realisation of quality youth and elderly care. In addition, my role as a Senior Consultant, I was elected as Councillor in Nijmegen (the 10th largest city in the Netherlands) and have been a member of the Board of Directors of Plan International Belgium (international NGO) since 2013. Furthermore, I wrote a book on participation (+ 2,000 copies sold) and got a Top 100 position in the ranking of the best and most promising young professionals in the Netherlands.

What action did you take to improve your employability whilst at University?

As a student I was mainly focusing on studying and enjoying student life. As a result I had a) an unforgettable student time and b) I got a Distinction and received two awards for ‘Best Overall Performance’ and the ‘Social Ambassador Prize’.

The awards proved to be real assets, distinguishing me from other people applying for jobs. This together with the career advice offered helped me to get most of my years as a young professional.

What advice would you give to current students wishing to enter this type of career?

Marks are important (most of my colleagues have Distinctions), but so are extracurricular activities.

Don’t go for ‘as many extracurricular activities as you can’, but do the ones you like, do them well and make sure you can tell your future employer what you learned from doing them.

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Getrude Nkomo

MEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering (2018) Graduate Emissions Testing Specialist, Johnson Matthey, Royston Why did you apply to the University of Bradford?

What was your first impression of the University and the city? What did you enjoy most about your time in Bradford?

I applied to the University of Bradford due to a combination of reasons. I wanted somewhere relatively close to Leeds so I could be close to home as I wasn’t ready to move out. I was unable to attend any Open Days but when I contacted the University they connected me to the Head of the Engineering Department who sorted out for me to be able to come in for a tour and talk about the course to answer any questions I had. That level of genuine care and investment made me realised that if I come here I would have the kind of support I would need to develop my career.

My first impression of the University was that it was very homely and very chilled out, relaxed atmosphere, and very comfortable. The lecturers were friendly and there were a lot of societies to join and take part in, which made making friends and meeting new people easy. I loved the city, still do, everything was so affordable and within walking distance; as a student, it’s the most practical place to live!

Why did you choose that particular course? What did you like and enjoy most about your course?

I enjoyed Mathematics and Physics, as well as Product Design at A levels. While choosing a degree there was always pressure to follow Mathematics and Physics down a technical route or follow Product Design down a creative route. After looking through many prospectus from various universities, I found the Mechanical Engineering course at University of Bradford gave me the perfect balance to be able to keep all my interests.

I enjoyed the structure of the course, every year there was a big Design Group Project, particularly the Interdisciplinary Project in the final year. There was a good balance between coursework and exam-based work as well as industry-based case studies.

What tips would you give to prospective students about the course at University of Bradford and the university itself?

Every year counts; modules, classes, tests, everything!

It counts… I can’t stress this enough! There is a myth that spreads through first year students that first year doesn’t count towards your degree. While this is true to a certain extent, your first year grades are used when applying for summer and industrial placements, predicting what your expected degree classification will be. Therefore, best believe everything counts!

Go to the Personal Academic Tutor sessions, they aren’t mandatory but are beneficial in the long-term.

My Personal Academic Tutor helped me adapt to university life, answered all my academic questions and connected me with lecturers who could help me out with my modules. He was my supervisor for my dissertation in the end, provided me with a summer placement and supported me with getting to conferences and getting publications. He really helped me develop my career!

How did Career and Employability Services support you during your time at University?

Career and Employability Services really supported me a lot in university since first year. Every time I went for a visit to meet the Career Consultants, they reviewed my CV and cover letters and I would always get responses from applications. They would always do practice interviews, assessment centre services and follow up conversations after interviews to know how to better next time. After graduation, I still use the services and they have been very helpful with how to further develop in my career even when employed.

Tell us about your current job including brief responsibilities of what you will be doing?

I work with customer quality and the manufacturing plant at Johnson Matthey setting specifications for products and providing support for local engineers to meet customer demands. My day-to-day activities involve data processing, operating rigs, end of life catalyst testing and tracking overall performance.

This can all be easily summed up as project management and implementing Six Sigma.

What advice would you give to current students wishing to enter this type of career?

Start applying for placements and practicing for interviews early so when it’s time to get a job it won’t be such a shock to the system!

Volunteer a lot to boost your CV to compensate for a lack of industrial experience.

Become a member of your professional institute, i.e. IMechE, even volunteer for the Youth Panel and attended their events whenever possible.

Initiate work outside of university related to academics, as this will open up opportunities to meet leaders in various industries and assist with looking for a job.

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CASE STUDY Nabelah Khan

BEng (Hons) Biomedical Engineering (2018) Field Service Engineer, Canon Medical Systems, Yorkshire

Why did you apply to the University of Bradford? Please include the following: What was your first impression of the University and the city? What did you enjoy most about your time in Bradford?

I applied to the University of Bradford due to the many prospects it provides alongside its rich culture. My first impression of UoB was its assistance in ensuring students are comfortable and the transition from Sixth Form to university is as smooth as possible. Despite university being so “foreign”, its sense of warmth and cultural diversity allowed an easy and comfortable transition.

Why did you choose that particular course?

What did you like and enjoy most about your course?

I chose Biomedical Engineering as it provides the opportunity to understand both the medical aspects and the more challenging side which is engineering. If you have a passion for Biosystems but also want a challenge, then this course is for you. I enjoyed my years as a Student Biomedical Engineer as it taught me many skills which are both transferable and technical, therefore,

I would recommend that you keep on top of your studies but don’t forget to have fun! If you are struggling, just remember there’s a great team behind you who are always pushing you to do your best and if you ever need help, they’ll be there to support you every step of the way!

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allowing me to easily adapt to new environments.

These skills include teamwork, time management and laboratory and CAD skills.

What tips would you give to prospective students (about the course at University of Bradford and the University itself)?

I would recommend that you keep on top of your studies but don’t forget to have fun! If you are struggling, just remember there’s a great team behind you who are always pushing you to do your best and if you ever need help, they’ll be there to support you every step of the way!

How did Career and Employability Services support you during your time at University?

The Career and Employability Services were a great help at acquiring my place at Canon Medical Systems. Not only did the workshops provide and set an industry example, each member of staff offers great advice and tips on ensuring you are getting the best. Personally, those staff linked to the Faculty of Engineering and Informatics pushed me and provided me with the expert knowledge at exceeding in situations including interviews and assessment centres. Alongside this, the Careers website provided great tips and materials including psychometric tests. A must for most engineering jobs!

Tell us about your current job including brief responsibilities…

I will be starting on the 1st of October and my role involves myself going out to various hospitals and servicing and maintaining Ultrasound equipment associated with Canon Medical Systems. The role requires travelling to various locations up and down the country as well as Europe. This role allows a vital opportunity in expanding my current skillset and pushing me outside my comfort zone!

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What action did you take to improve your employability whilst at University?

Like any student at University, I was determined on ensuring my grades were the best I could possibly achieve. Awarded with a first-class honours in Biomedical Engineering did not come easy; it required time and dedication alongside late night revision sessions.

Alongside my exceptional grade, another major achievement of my university career was derived from my final year project.

With the help of an excellent supervisor, I produced an outstanding piece of work which was later submitted for a conference hosted by BioMedEng2018 and will be published. When I mentioned this to my interviewers, now employers, they were very impressed as I had developed many skills including communication, initiative and time management.

Furthermore, I also actively participated in part-time work as a manual Note Take for disabled students; this also allowed me to develop on my confidence.

What advice would you give to current students wishing to enter this type of career?

My advice would be MAKE SURE YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH!! Employers are impressed if you are commercially aware. Also, make sure you completely prepare yourself to a stage where your answers are tailored or targeted to any questions thrown at you!

Preparation goes a long way as it shows the employers that you are keen with the role they are advertising. Preparing for an interview also helps calm the nerves as you are comfortable with the key principles of the role. Additionally, it is also great, if you have some questions to ask the employer. This illustrates that not only do you understand the role but are keen to comprehend beyond it.

Do not ask questions such as “what is the pay like?” instead opt for questions such as “so how would a graduate be appraised in this company?” Lastly, ensure you have a positive mental attitude and always remember to let the real you shine through!

Queendalyn Mbabgong

BSc (Hons) Clinical Technology (2017) Clinical Technologist, Leicester Royal Infirmary Why did you apply to the University of Bradford?

To be very honest, I did not know much about the University of Bradford, or Bradford as a city, until I was in the University of Bradford. I came here as sort of a last resort but it turns out it was one of the best decisions I have made so far. I had not been for any Open Days and so was at a complete loss for what to expect, but throughout my stay here, I have been pleasantly surprised.

What I especially loved about living and studying in Bradford is the community spirit. Everything is within walking distance, and quickly became my home away from home. I also made lifetime friendships and got to work, study, live and party with people from all works of life.

Why did you choose that particular course?

What did you like and enjoy most about your course?

I have always loved science, especially physiological science and as I grew older, I also developed a strong appreciation of medical technology and understanding the use of more complex equipment used in the diagnosis and treatment of pathology. I wanted to pursue a career in an area which would expose me to a blend of biological and engineering principles, where I can be a competent member in the goal to further improve healthcare services.

I really enjoyed my course and the time (3years) seemed to fly by really quickly.

Lecturers were approachable and most would respond to emails within 24 hours. The group projects were also very exciting, building team work and healthy competition. I learned a lot of skills behind the scenes such as presentation skills, assertiveness, analysis, attention to details, time management etc.

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The course also helped expand my knowledge and equipped me with loads of relevant information which I can utilise in my career moving forward. I also really appreciated the amount of material available in the library; I really did not need to purchase any textbooks as all the recommended books were available in enough copies and as well as all the software packages needed, to successfully complete projects and assignments.

What tips would you give to prospective students about the course at University of Bradford and the University itself?

“A strong individual is one who asks for help when he needs it” this quote is as true as it sounds. Whatever course you get enrolled on, you will spend 3 – 5 years studying for it. Never feel like you are in it alone or you can’t ask for help. There is a surplus amount of help available throughout the campus; academically, financially and morally. From the get go, build a strong rapport with your Supervisor/Personal Tutor and make use of the library!

Try to find a balance between studies and social life. Many people tend to lean too much towards one way or the other and end up missing out on a lot of fun experience. Surround yourself with the right group of friends because they will be an integral part of your journey and whether you like it or not, you will be influenced by your peers, so it is up to you if this influence is positive or negative. Organisation and time management is key; set yourself a goal and work to achieve it.

Also, pay attention during your lectures (especially for this course). Trust me this is not like A levels where you sit in a lecture and think “how is this going to be relevant to my job?’’ because EVERYTHING is relevant when it comes to job interviews and applying yourself. If you have something to do, the best time to do it is NOW because like I said earlier, time flies while in university; you get a piece of coursework and before you blink twice it’s the deadline!

How did Career and Employability Services support you during your time at University?

I cannot emphasise enough how much help and support I received from Career and Employability Services. Seriously, there is help every step of the way; CVs, cover letters, filling out application forms, mock interviews, psychometric tests, and so on. Even if you are unable to come in for a

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face-to-face interview, the staff are willing to do a telephone or even skype mock interview with you.

I mean, talk about a team who are just out to see you win!! A huge thank you to all the staff on the Career and Employability Services team!

Tell us about your current job…

I just gained employment with the Leicester Royal Infirmary NHS, and will be joining their Engineering Team as a Clinical Technologist from mid-August 2017. My job is basically to be a “specialist engineer” for a range of medical equipment and undertake planned preventive maintenance, calibration, servicing, fault-finding and repair to a wide range of these equipment.

This is all very exciting for me and I look forward to converting my theoretical knowledge into practical experience.

What action did you take to improve your employability whilst at University?

Well, before University, I had begun working with my local hospital as a HCA (Healthcare Assistant) and also done a lot of volunteering with various charity organisations. Whilst at university, I also became a Student Ambassador and did little retail jobs on the side. All of this helped build my CV and I developed lots of interpersonal and transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, organisational skills, etc.

Also, I worked closely with the Career and Employability Services from my second year.

I attended several workshops they organised which were packed with valuable information on employability. This service is free so I made sure to use it as much as I could, while I could.

What advice would you give to current students wishing to enter this type of career?

Experience is everything! Not necessarily experience in the field (even though that is also very important), but every bit of experience counts. During your summer or even whilst at university , go into the hospital and volunteer, or apply to work with the NHS or any other medical companies, just anything that will gain you exposure to this medical equipment so you can get your hands on them.

It is not going to be an easy ride but it will be definitely worth it in the end. There will be very difficult times but you have to know why you want it and stick to your guns. The future is in your hands now, shape it as you would like to see it!

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CASE STUDY Kulsoom Patel

BSc (Hons) Information and Communications Technologies (2017) Associate Engineer, Callcredit Information Group, Leeds

Why did you apply to the University of Bradford?

What was your first impression of the University and the city, and what did you enjoy most about your time in Bradford?

I applied to the University, as after visiting an Open Day, going on a departmental tour and speaking to some of the current students, I could see the University had very good facilities and the content of the course covered relevant topics in computing. Prior to starting University, I went to a small school so when starting my course I was in awe of everything. The computing labs are well equipped for the modules and you can also utilise them when there are no scheduled classes.

I thoroughly enjoyed my university experience as I made some great friends and feel I have grown a lot during these past few years.

Why did you choose that particular course?

What did you like and enjoy most about your course?

I initially studied BSc ICT with Business during my first year. Prior to applying for University, I was interested in studying a business related course, however, after visiting an Open Day and speaking to various people I realised I could study business alongside computing and these were two subjects which were of interest to me. The course offered studying a variety of computing modules such as Software Development, Computer Networking, Databases, etc which ensured I would gain a good understanding of the major areas in computing.

The business aspect would ensure I was well versed in the role which technology plays in industry and gain key business skills. After starting University, I soon realised I enjoyed the computing modules more than the business related ones.

The University was flexible and I was able to drop business and only study computing from my second year onwards.

I enjoyed studying ICT as it is a practical course.

The theory which was taught in lectures was followed by labs which allowed for trying out the material. This hands-on approach enabled for a deep understanding of the subjects and kept the content interesting.

What tips would you give to prospective students (about the course at University of Bradford and the University itself)?

I highly recommend studying a computing related course. There are many jobs within the sector entailing good employability prospects and there is such a variety of roles you will surely find something you enjoy. There is often a misconception the first year is not important as it does not count towards your degree, however, I would recommend working hard from the onset as this sets the foundation for the rest of the course. Sometimes the work can be a little intimidating, however, your perseverance will pay off. It is also useful to speak to students who are in the year above you as they often have good advice having just gone through the experience themselves.

There are ample opportunities at the University, both work wise and social events. Getting involved at University is great as you get to meet lots of different people. I was a PAL (Peer Assisted Learning) Leader during my second year and this helped me to develop personally as well as meet people from the University. There are tons of societies and extra-curricular activities which you can also join.

How did Career and Employability Services support you during your time at University?

I first visited Careers towards the end of my first year. The University run a Summer Experience

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Getting involved at University is great as you get to meet lots of different people. I was a PAL (Peer Assisted Learning) Leader during my second year and this helped me to develop personally as well as meet people from the University. There are tons of societies and extra-curricular activities which you can also join.

scheme and I wanted to apply for a vacancy, however, I had never applied for a job before, so I was very unsure of what a CV and cover letter should contain. My first attempt at a CV was pretty atrocious so it did take a few appointments before I had a professional CV and cover letter. I also did a mock interview with a Career Consultant for preparation and this experience made me aware of the type of answers I can give to interview questions.

During my second year, I attended the Pre-Placement sessions run by Career and Employability Services for my faculty.

This offered good advice on how to find and apply for placements as well as informing me of the different stages involved in the application process and how to best navigate through these.

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What action did you take to improve your employability whilst at University?

During my first year, I went to a Careers Fair and I was introduced to an organisation which I did some volunteering with. This allowed me to gain some work experience as well as support my local community. Taking part in the University Summer Experience scheme enabled me to gain some relevant experience in my field. I worked in the re:centre during the summer, to create some business profiles and develop the re:centre website.

During my final year, I attended some workshops run by Careers on finding and applying for graduate schemes. Having already been through the application process when searching for a placement, this did put me in good stead, however, the workshops were a good refresher.

Undertaking a placement year was the most substantial experience to improve my employability. I worked at Leeds Beckett University in the Business Systems Development Team who are responsible for developing the in-house applications used by the University.

This provided me with an opportunity to work as a Software Developer and I was able to develop an application from inception to deployment.

The year provided me with invaluable experience as I learnt much more about the field, and my colleagues offered great mentoring and guidance. My placement year reaffirmed my ambition to become a Software Engineer.

Tell us about your current job...

Callcredit Information Group manages consumer data across different industries. The organisation develops products and services to process this data for insights and efficient decision making. I will be joining the Software Engineering Graduate Scheme in September.

The scheme involves undertaking a twelve week training programme in C#, Microsoft SQL Server and software testing. I will then be joining the Product Development Team as an Associate Engineer and work on live projects.

What advice would you give to current students wishing to enter this type of career?

Some entry level jobs in the field ask for a specific technical skills-set, however, not all. Interpersonal skills also play a major role and having some form of work experience demonstrates this to employers. If you have passion and enthusiasm for technology, employers can usually pick this up. I would highly recommend going on placement as I believe this has given me a huge advantage and I was better prepared for applying and securing graduate employment due to this.

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CASE STUDY Yara Chobaki

BEng (Hons) Medical Engineering with Industrial Placement (2017) Edison Engineering Development Programme (EEDP) with GE Aviation, Cheltenham Why did you apply to the University of Bradford?

What was your first impression of the University and the city, and what did you enjoy most about your time in Bradford?

I initially applied to the University of Bradford because of the 12 month industrial placement they offered as part of a sandwich degree course. The opportunity to gain exposure to the working world in a field in which I was very much interested, appealed to me greatly. [I thus completed a 12 month internship at GE Oil & Gas as part of my industrial placement year, following my second year of study, before returning to complete my final year].

Upon visiting the university for the first time during the University Open Day, I was pleasantly surprised with how friendly and informative both the staff and the current students were. I had the chance to speak to students studying the courses I was interested in applying for, and seek general advice and feedback from them. Ultimately, the warm welcome I received played a major factor in influencing my decision to both apply to the University and accept the offer to call this new institution my home for the next 4 years.

Undoubtedly, what I have enjoyed the most about my time at Bradford is making new friends with people from all walks of life. I have certainly established friendships and acquired skills, both academic and personal, to last me a lifetime.

Why did you choose that particular course? What did you like and enjoy the most about your course?

I have always had a strong appreciation for engineering and have aspired to enter the field.

I wanted to pursue a career where I am able to practice being innovative. The healthcare industry seems to be a thriving sector, which unquestionably, affects many. Medicine has always been a crucial and essential part of modern society and so I found it extraordinary that today’s engineers are able to apply both a combination of biological and engineering principles to the medical field in efforts to improve

healthcare diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. For this reason, I chose this course.

The University of Bradford is one of the only universities in the UK offering this course with modules touching on all fundamental areas in engineering, not just medical. I found this to be extremely helpful as I was able to apply all theoretical skills that I had developed from every single module, to practical use during my time in industry – which was in a completely different sector to that of relevance to my degree.

Nonetheless, engineering is still engineering, and once you know the basics, you’re able to mould yourself into any desired job role within the field.

That’s what makes engineering so great!

What tips would you give to prospective students?

I’d say, learn to step out of your comfort zone.

This will surely broaden your horizon. No course is “easy” and no course is “too difficult”. With hard work and dedication comes a world of opportunity.

There’s an abundance of help and support at the University regarding whatever struggle, worry or problem you may be facing. Regarding the course you choose to study, staff are always there to help.

Though university means more independent study, it’s still ok to ask for additional help when need be.

Particularly with engineering, there were Maths clinics available to everyone. During my first and second years at university, I found these clinics to be EXTREMELY beneficial for me. Get out there, ask questions, explore! You want to be successful?

Step out of your comfort zone and stay out of your comfort zone!!

How did Career and Employability Services support you during your time at University?

Career and Employability Services were a great support during my time at university. When applying for 12 month internships during my second year, I attended various workshops addressing how to fill

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Case Studies

Learn to step out of your comfort zone. This will surely broaden your horizon. No course is “easy” and no course is “too difficult”. With hard work and dedication comes a world of opportunity. There’s an abundance of help and support at the University regarding whatever struggle, worry or problem you may be facing. out job applications, tips and advice with writing CVs and Cover Letters, as well as the most effective way to perform in both a telephone and face-toface interview. I even had the chance to book a “practice” face-to-face interview with one of the staff members and receive feedback on my performance. Very, very helpful and I’m thankful for this service!

Tell us about your current job…

Starting end July 2017, the Edison Engineering Development Programme is a graduate scheme involving three 8-month rotations over a 2 year period, whereby graduates will be trained in over 30 different areas ranging from Software, Electronics, Mechanical, Project management and more.

The site I will be working at specialises in Avionics Systems, and therefore I will be involved in working on plenty of new exciting projects.

What action did you take to improve you employability whilst at University?

A major key in becoming employable is having people skills, and so part time jobs (mostly in retail) allowed me to improve both my customer service

and team working skills. During a lot of the interviews I have had for job positions, including my positions at GE, there was a lot of competent questioning whereby various scenarios involving team work and problem solving were addressed. It’s good to gain experience outside of university to be able to, not only be a well-rounded individual, but to have more interesting things to say at a job interview.

What advice would you give to current students wishing to enter this type of career?

Don’t be afraid, just go for it! No amount of advice given to me back when I was applying for university could have prepared me for the four incredible years that were to come. Don’t get me wrong, these past four years have been far from easy, but they were definitely possible. Just take everything as it comes, manage your time well, be organised and be THIRSTY for success. Pave your own way and learn that balance is key! Life is only as good as your mind set. Adopt a fearless, success-thirsty mentality and keep pushing! And remember, when things get difficult, you’ve got a whole institution ready to help. Just ask!

CASE STUDY

Dimitrios Tsiaras

MSc Big Data Science and Technology (2019) Cloud Data Engineer, Next Plc, Leicester

Why did you apply to the University of Bradford? What was your first impression of the University and the city? What did you enjoy most about your time in Bradford?

After my Bachelor’s degree in Physics, I wanted to use the acquired analytical thinking and problem-solving skills in a more

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pragmatic way. Hence, I chose a technology driven and data-related MSc Programme (MSc Big Data Science and Technology) that could cover my needs within a highly ranked University’s faculty; Faculty of Engineering and Informatics (FEI) at the University of Bradford.

Case Studies

Initially, I didn’t know what to anticipate from the city or the University. Thankfully, everything turned out to be well above my expectations, especially with the tasteful and affordable food at the city!

Why did you choose that particular course?

What did you like and enjoy most about your course?

The programme is interdisciplinary, which was the key-factor for my selection, including advanced software development, big data systems and analytics, and machine learning.

The combination between theoretical and practical aspects of both computer science and analytics was what I enjoyed the most; along with the great support I received from my professors.

What tips would you give to prospective students about the course at University of Bradford and the university itself?

Seizing the available opportunities within the faculty/department, gaining knowledge of programming and data analysis, be openminded and getting out of your comfort zone are the best practises to grow yourself and stand out of the crowd. Devotion of time will pay off, be optimistic and courageous, failure will come but is part of the learning process and a step closer to success.

Be open-minded and getting out of your comfort zone are the best practises to grow yourself and stand out of the crowd. Devotion of time will pay off, be optimistic and courageous, failure will come but is part of the learning process and a step closer to success.

How did Career and Employability Services support you during your time at University?

I am grateful for the great support I received from Career and Employability Services (CES) throughout the year (even during the summer season). Being an active volunteer (Career Ambassador) in CES gave me the best possible resources for my CV creation and further develop key soft skills such as networking with employers, working and collaborating as an effective member of the Career Ambassadors Team and planning and organising.

In addition, meeting people like the Lead Career Consultant for FEI and the Careers Information and Communications Coordinator has given me the kind of support and confidence needed for my graduate applications.

Tell us about your current job As a Cloud Data Engineer in Next’s Business Intelligence Department, I design, develop and maintain Microsoft Azure-based solutions according to business requirements. Defining technical requirements, development, testing and documentation to support productionised solutions, alongside the operations support team and within an Agile framework is also required. Finally, sharing knowledge, offering input and assistance to the wider team whilst building my skills are the greatest parts of what I daily do.

What action did you take to improve your employability whilst at University?

I accepted a Machine Learning job at the Department of Computer Science for two months, and as mentioned above, I volunteered as a Career Ambassador at CES for two semesters. The latter gave me the soft skills needed in industry while the former, the initial technical skills required for a similar role.

Both contributed to get a summer internship at Thames Water as a Data Scientist for my Master’s Dissertation.

What advice would you give to current students wishing to enter this type of career?

Being driven and an optimist, even at stressful times will make a huge difference among others. ‘Ithaka is the destination, but knowledge’s Odyssey will educate you the most’.

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Case Studies

My Lockdown Story Sofia Ahmed

Human Resources Management student Sofia Ahmed, took the opportunity to

take part in a online internship when her plans changed due to the lockdown…

I began studying Human Resources Management at the University of Bradford in 2018 but I never thought that a pandemic would be one of my problems. I was looking forward to doing a placement year but I guess COVID-19 had other plans. So instead of looking for placement opportunities I started to look online for ways to improve my CV. I was still able to carry on volunteering at the beginning, but my plans of gaining real world experience had been well and truly thrown out of the window until a careers adviser suggested I apply for a Bright Network online internship with a focus on Business, Operations and Marketing (there were six different subject areas to choose from). I applied not knowing what to expect, thinking it might be like uni lectures. I was wrong – it was so much more…

The virtual internship was supported by well established companies like P&G, M&S, Google, Enterprise and GSK. The Internship consisted of

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seminars and self-managed sessions. There were networking opportunities to meet peers too. The seminars were delivered by professionals from business backgrounds who shared their knowledge of marketing, competitive analysis, consultative selling and even top tips for teamwork and collaboration dos and don’ts.

Alongside this we were given a work sample which made us apply our knowledge of the seminars in a real world problem which was both challenging and rewarding. The main tasks were to provide Enterprise with a marketing plan of a launch in a new city and provide a SWOT analysis on the cities to pick the best option for Enterprise. We were given a £50,000 budget to advertise the new campaign and finished with recommended tactics to measure the outcome of the project.

One of the main takeaways from this experience is that employers aren’t necessarily looking for someone who is perfect at their job but rather someone who is resilient, reliable and perseveres in the tasks that they have been given, and most importantly asks for help when they need it.

I am now applying to summer internships and keeping my volunteering going. Hopefully my workplace will be able to open safely soon.

Although COVID-19 has shaken all of us I think that it also brings opportunities for development and all we can do is hope that one day things will be better.

Case Studies

Kiram Hussain Civil and Structural Engineering

#teambradford Graduate in 2017

and is now working as a Graduate Engineer at Colas in Leeds.

For those who may not understand why the construction sector remains under the status of key workers – we are involved with providing vital service towards the maintenance and upkeep of the network passage for all transportation means, and importantly supplies of everyday goods.

There may be mixed feelings about this statement, but in all honesty, when I was told I’d still be working on site and in office during the lockdown, I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

At the time, I did have thoughts in the back of my mind about whether I’d be putting my family members at risk whilst they were staying indoors and I was going back and forth from home to work. However, I also understood the importance of being an essential worker, not quite the same as an NHS worker of course, but still contributing to my duty within a critical sector.

And so, it began, the BIG change…

‘Business Continuity Plans’ were prepared and implemented for our base to stay up and running throughout the lockdown: Staff members classed as high-risk individuals were told to avoid the office completely and work from their homes.

The commercial and admin teams were also told to work from home.

As for the remaining staff (project managers, site managers and operatives, etc), we were split up to limit the number of people in one office. I was moved to another compound with one of my fellow colleagues.

On site, the operatives were given extra PPE (masks, gloves) and extra cleaning supplies (hand sanitiser, soap, anti-bacterial wipes) and told to observe 2m distances between each other. This isn’t always possible, especially during kerbing and drainage works, hence the masks and gloves.

Our HSE advisors have made visits to each compound and site to ensure we’re all following the rules and weekly safety reports are filled out to inform them of any issues or changes on site.

For the first couple of weeks, whilst adjusting to the changes at work, I felt slightly gloomy not hearing the usual chatter and laughter I was used to. My workload was the one thing that took my mind off everything, including the worries I had regarding the pandemic and its potential impact on my family and friends. Me and my colleagues also continued to have our weekly progress meetings through video call on Microsoft Teams; something I look forward to now since I get to see everyone through the screen.

I was supervising a small remediation scheme that started a few weeks into the lockdown; being on site in the fresh air with my team (whilst adhering to our social distancing guidelines, of course) was pretty good. I’d finally adapted to the new circumstances in the office, however, the lockdown had made a huge difference outdoors. There was no usual hustle and bustle of people walking by and all the nearby shops were closed, it was like a ghost town around Leeds. I won’t deny how much I enjoyed driving to and from work on an empty motorway, less traffic meant less road rage from me and I’d get to work in a very cheerful mood! The quiet roads have had a positive impact on our works too, as we can have more lane closures without them causing a build-up of congestion around our construction sites.

Seven weeks on, I’m still missing the normality but I’m extremely proud of the way our base has kept itself going during this daunting phase.

We’ve worked extremely well as a team, with an ongoing commitment towards our highway projects; this has proved to have its advantages and positive moments. Our management team have continued to review mitigation measures to ensure our health and safety is in good hands.

Our operatives are out there day in, day out, continuing to work hard. Those working from home have done so as if they are still in-office, keeping a professional attitude. It’s made me appreciate the opportunity I’ve been given by my organisation to continue earning a living whilst there are some unfortunate people working for other companies, who have either lost their jobs or been put onto the furlough scheme.

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Case Studies

Lucy Cain Public Health and Wellbeing student at the

University of Bradford, but also a care assistant in a residential care home and a health care

assistant within the East Lancashire Teaching hospital, so she has first-hand experience at the frontline of the pandemic…

So university asked me to reflect on the pandemic and until I began to write about it I didn’t realise the effect it has had on me, so here goes…

When COVID-19 began in China I had heard brief speculations and bits of information, but the moment I will never forget is sitting with my dad waiting for Boris Johnson to come on televison, and when the lockdown of the nation was announced I knew my life was about to change forever.

Everything that I knew changed; my parents were no longer at work and my siblings were not at school.

Then there was my great grandma to think about who I have seen everyday of my life since I was born, but now I can only facetime her every day and drop her shopping off on the door step so I know she is ok.

When I got the phone call from work I knew I was going to be more than needed, and since this has been announced I have been working a lot of hours to care for people when their loved ones simply can’t.

My friends have lost parents due to the pandemic and lives have been taken and this is why we have to keep our loved ones at home to stay safe. We had to start wearing PPE which I found the most difficult because patients/residents can’t even see you smile but you have to remember better days are coming.

My friends have had the illness themselves but luckily have recovered and are back supporting our care industries.

Mentally it does not quite feel real and sleeping is hard because my mind is constantly racing but then eventually I’ll doze off to sleep. My theory is still the same every single day though: “if I can make one person smile today then today is a good day”.

When I am not in work I am lucky enough to live at home spending time with my family or facetiming friends from afar, forever speaking of when we reunite. The clap for carers at 8pm every Thursday happens when I am usually on my way to a night shift and just seeing the support from the nation is keeping

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us all going. The thank-yous we receive from their families are above and beyond as well, as my own family saying how proud of me they are.

Then on Good Friday our little lockdown family event happened – my cousin which we have waited five years for through the hands of IVF entered the world, spreading happiness through my family at this sad time. One of my best friends also announced her pregnancy – these are the things that keep us going.

The pandemic and the world being in a mess has for sure made people become kinder people, we are checking in on our neighbours, supporting our local businesses and more importantly each other.

COVID-19 has changed lives but working in care I have seen how scary this field is and everyone who is keeping on going, we stand united keep going.

Before COVID-19 the nation would say “oh but you’re just a carer?”, but that’s not the case anymore – I am a super carer and everyone from the NHS to key workers is doing an amazing job right now. I am just proud to be a part of it. Lets save the world then we can all meet again some sunny day, the world will change when this is all over but so will we. #staysafe #stayhome.

Case Studies

Beth Whitaker Public Health and Community Wellbeing

student at the University of Bradford. Here she shares how she’s making a positive

difference in her community in a way you might not have considered…

As soon as it was obvious that a lockdown was on the way, I applied for a paper round.

I knew that I would hate to be stuck inside all day every day and the money would help too.

I also applied for loads of supermarket work when they were looking for temp staff because I wanted to be able to help out.

I got a job at ALDI that lasted for four weeks.

It was hard work and some of the customers were really very stressed, but it was good to

know that I could help by being a key worker and we got lots of thank yous.

Having a paper round has been absolutely wonderful. Having a routine that means getting up and out of the house every morning has been a Godsend, I’ve got lots of lovely people to wave to every day which seems like such a little communication but it means so much, I love looking at all the rainbows in everyone’s windows and one lady has said that me bringing the paper round each day is keeping her going.

I make sure that I check in with the people on the paper round that I have seen face to face, knowing how lonely lockdown must be on their own, so now I’m on first name terms with a few of them and get a little chat with someone most days which has been lovely.

It’s nice to be contributing at such a weird time. I’m now applying to do some support work at a residential home through the University of Bradford as part of my placement so I can keep making a difference.

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Covid 19

Covid 19 Response

At the University of Bradford, staff and students came together to support each other and to support their local communities.

Support for Students The University’s first priority was to support its students through the period of disruption to ensure their safety, health and wellbeing and to ensure that they were all able to continue with their learning, and not become academically disadvantaged. As University of the Year for Social Inclusion 2020, it recognised that the impact of the situation could affect under-represented or vulnerable groups disproportionately and therefore took steps to target additional support so that all students had fair and equitable opportunities to complete their studies. Measures included: • Learning, teaching and student support were moved online and although the campus was physically closed, the University remained open.

All student services continued to work remotely to support students.

• Special arrangements were put in place to accommodate extenuating circumstances so that students were not academically disadvantaged.

• Emergency regulations were put in place to enable students at Levels 3 and 4 to progress, and to provide a ‘safety net’ for students at Levels 5 and above to ensure that the disruption caused

by Covid-19 did not impact on their overall degree outcomes.

• The academic calendar was amended to ensure that students had sufficient time to complete assessed work, and could still progress or complete broadly within their expected timescales.

• A range of self-access mental health and wellbeing tools were provided and telephone, email and video-call support was available for any student who experienced mental health issues, including those self-isolating.

• The University partnered with Morrisons to

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provide a food bank delivery service for students who were self-isolating and unable to obtain food for themselves (and their families as required).

• An extended laptop loan scheme was put in place for students without their own IT equipment to enable them to continue studying and laptops were delivered to those students who needed them.

• The University continued to support students in financial hardship through its hardship and crisis funding and supported an increased number of students financially.

• It linked up its students with a range of new part-time work opportunities which arose in response to the COVID-19 crisis, mainly in retail, distribution and the care sector.

• Although the University does not own or manage any of its own accommodation, it supported students who were experiencing issues with private accommodation, including funding emergency accommodation where required.

• It set up a ‘virtual campus’ to support students remaining in Bradford, and provided a continued sense of community for students who returned home. It included online exercise classes from its gym, store cupboard cooking tips from its chefs, quizzes, an online book club, online mindfulness classes and daily spiritual tweets from its multi-faith chaplaincy team.

• It set up a dedicated email address for students to contact the University if they had any concerns about the current situation.

• The Students’ Union also supported students, providing Easter Eggs for those remaining in student accommodation, setting up WhatsApp Groups to support those in accommodation and operating a range of virtual activities, including quizzes and virtual peer to peer language teaching.

Covid 19

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Covid 19

Support for Staff As with students, the safety, health and wellbeing of the University’s employees were a priority, ensuring that all staff were supported to work from home while balancing other commitments.

The support included: • The vast majority of staff worked from home.

A new ‘Bradford on Demand’ IT platform was developed to ensure that all staff could securely access university systems off campus.

• All staff – including hourly paid staff, student casual workers, and other temporary staff – were paid in full.

• Clear expectations were set for staff with caring or home-schooling responsibilities, to assure them that pay and benefits would be maintained if they were unable to work at the same pace as previously.

• Staff were able to carry forward their entire holiday entitlement, to be used over the next three years.

• In recognition of the hard work of colleagues in supporting the move to remote working, the University provided staff with an additional Easter closure day.

• It provided a range of self-access mental health and wellbeing tools.

• It provided a vast range of online resources to support staff adjusting to working at home.

‘The World of Remote Working’ provided tips on everything from working safely, teleconferencing etiquette, and maintaining a work-life balance through to learning resources for parents and carers and ways to get the most of non-working time when you can’t leave the house.

• Its virtual campus was for staff as well as students, and many of its faculties and directorates also operated virtual coffee mornings and other social activities to keep staff engaged.

• A dedicated email address was set up for staff if they had any concerns.

Support for the Community As an anchor-institution in the city, the University worked to support the local council, NHS and businesses through the crisis period, and, through UUK, also offered its services to support the response at a national level. Its contributions included: • The Vice-Chancellor is a member of the Bradford District Outbreak Control Board, coordinating the region’s response to the COVID-19 crisis.

• The University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that supported the relocation of employees across NHS Trusts, CCG, Local Authority and General Practice staff in hospitals, medical facilities, primary, community and social care settings, co-ordination centres and in people’s own homes. The signatories to the MoU were:

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> Airedale Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Covid 19

> Bradford District and Craven Clinical Commissioning Group > Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust > Bradford Metropolitan District Council > Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust > Modality Partnership > Local Care Direct > University of Bradford

• It supported Airedale NHS Foundation Trust to establish its COVID 19 testing platform. This included providing the Trust with solutions to enable COVID 19 testing training to take place.

• Staff joined the critical care induction team at the Nightingale Hospital, Harrogate, to support the orientation and induction of new staff to this new facility.

• The University developed and delivered an Advanced Respiratory Monitoring and Support in Critical Care webinar series for Health Education England. It ran 34 webinars, covering the following topics, and all content

was hosted on a publicly available site:

> Maintenance of Nutrition and Hydration Status in the Critically Ill > Advanced Cardiovascular Monitoring and Support in Critical Care > General Care of the Unconscious Patient.

• It distributed its own stocks of PPE equipment to the NHS which included coveralls, hooded body suits, gloves, safety glasses and overshoe covers.

• It provided Bradford Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with 95 litres of ethanol to clean ventilators.

• It supported staff with professional qualifications to return to practice in the NHS, and to engage in volunteering and other work to support the NHS and Social Care, adjusting their workload where there was no negative impact on students.

• It supported students to contribute to the NHS and Social Care in paid employment, placements and volunteering:

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Covid 19

> The majority of paramedic students were enabled to work in practice as part of the workforce by fast tracking clinical assessments and rearranging programme delivery. Its second, third and fourth year paramedics supported front line practice and first years supported call lines for NHS 111.

> Over 400 nursing and midwifery students signed up to be deployed through the Health Education England register.

• The University offered its Heaton Mount conference centre with residential facilities as accommodation for NHS key workers. It also offered the use of its Shearbridge car park for use as a drive-in testing centre.

• A group of engineering academics, researchers and technicians in the Faculty of Engineering and Informatics worked on the design and manufacture of face shields to protect health care workers in hospitals and in the community. They used 3D printer technology to manufacture prototypes of a number of polymer designs for consideration and approval by the NHS. • Staff and students from its Working Academy delivered a range of apps to support the NHS. The hospital extranet C-ARE (Crisis-assess/response/ escalate) project was developed in record time (three weeks) and provided an extranet for existing NHS staff who were being moved to critical care departments such as intensive care and accident and emergency. It provided an ‘access anywhere’ site providing crucial information to new staff and those switching roles, including clear information on where to go on their first day, where to get PPE, contact numbers and standard operating procedures.

• The University signed up to a scheme run through its local newspaper, the Telegraph and Argus, to support local business with free advertising during the crisis. The aim was to keep local business visible during the COVID-19 crisis.

• The University is funding three research projects to support COVID-19 efforts:

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> COVID SIMQ: Project to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the healthcare staff and their families in the Yorkshire region via a Staff Impact Monitoring Questionnaire

(SIMQ). The project will help understanding the impact of the COVID-19 on staff and their families, understand the duty of councils within the Yorkshire region towards such key workers and how to direct resources pending the outcomes of the COVID SIMQ and the associated need for resource management that directly impact key workers.

> Visualising Risk Factors for COVID-19: A Web-enabled Tool for Feature Engineering: Project to develop novel visualisation techniques that enable interactive exploration of the effects that combinations of COVID-19 risk factors have on health outcomes, and the

communication of early findings among the

research community.

> Game Theory based Approach to Modelling Optimal Social Distancing: Project to develop an effective computational tool for modelling optimal human distancing applicable for people to operate efficiently within work, commute and social environments. The tool will help decision makers to plan environments effectively, ranging from meeting areas, social spaces for larger gatherings and even classrooms for students and children.

• The University encouraged staff and students to support Bradford Metropolitan District Council’s call for volunteers to help its efforts to support the most vulnerable in our communities and get vital supplies to those who could not obtain them for themselves.

• It put out an open call to support manufacturing through its specialist equipment, including specialist computer numerical control (CNC) machines, lathes and milling machines, and laser 3D printers. The University already had a respected track record in developing cutting edge medical tools and implantable devices, including laser-cut stents and plastic devices for use in dentistry, ophthalmology, spinal and so on.

The University’s students and graduates are supporting GCSE candidates in the region through a tutoring programme, which sees students and graduates working in schools to support maths attainment.

Insights and Assessment

Insights and Assessment

The University of Bradford is at the heart of its Yorkshire community.

It has been instrumental in helping to establish an ethos of social

mobility in the region, with the institution itself acting as an anchor in an area where many people remain throughout their lives from school through to university and into employment.

The University’s contribution to the city very much mirrors that of the Opportunity Area, set up in 2016. Through engaging effectively with local stakeholders, and responding to local needs, it has a unique ability to shape and deliver the connections that will provide opportunity for the people that live there. It is clear that this needs to be a long-term and systematic strategy, grounded in the local community and supported by government, if it is to make a genuine and lasting difference to the area. The joined-up approach it has used locally has seen real results and this now urgently needs to be developed further at a national level to promote effective change, working across government departments.

The original Opportunity Areas were a limited pilot scheme and, as such, were not able to cover all the areas which would undoubtedly have benefited from being part of it. However, it did succeed in reaching over 97% of the frontline - where it was most needed - and the decision by the government earlier this year to provide additional funding indicates that its contribution to local cohesion is of clear value. In its initial stages, it was urgent that the scheme was up and running as quickly as possible. Although local stakeholders drive it, the Department for Education, which has an overview of what works in other areas and already has links with local education staff and institutions, is integral to its success. It should also work with other government departments such as the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department

for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, to maximise its effectiveness.

In its recent report, Monitoring Social Mobility , the Social Mobility Commission considered whether the Government has delivered on the recommendations it has made over the last seven years. One of its key points is that there has been no meaningful placed-based action on social mobility apart from the Opportunity Areas and it welcomed the Government’s manifesto to cement the Opportunity Area programme. It also acknowledges that education is meant to be the great leveller and that success in the education system correlates with success in other aspects of life, including economic ones.

The University of Bradford has demonstrated that clearly. Amongst other things, the Opportunity Area model helps to build links with key employers in the area. The University of Bradford’s ability to attract students and boost their employability has created a fast-track for individuals who might not otherwise have fulfilled their potential. Its collaborative approach has meant that it has been able to work in partnership with other organisations in the area to mobilise the resources that, in fact, already exist within that community.

It can provide appropriately skilled graduates who can then find work at a higher level, generating wealth and social mobility for the city. PwC was one employer who recognised that the City was able to offer a pool of talent when it decided to open new offices in Bradford in 2019.

⁴ https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/891155/Monitoring_report_2013-2020_-Web_version.pdf

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Insights and Assessment

Employers across the city are now embedding graduate opportunities within their growth plans. The University has been very astute in its targeting of sectors in which skills are in short supply, demand is great and the volume of opportunities for well paid, rewarding careers is high. STEM-related industries and healthcare are among the areas in which it is excelling.

Bradford shows that this model works and the partnerships that are fostered reap results beyond the immediately obvious. For example, the University worked with the local NHS to look at children's eyesight. It found that many children attending school had undiagnosed poor vision.

Once this was identified and treated, it had a marked effect on their literacy rates.

Through outreach work and mentoring, the University works hard to engage hard to reach and low participation groups, including refugees

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and care leavers amongst others, so that they are aware of the opportunities that it can offer on their doorstep.

At the same time, support services within the University are primed to accelerate the progression of graduates, backed up by in-depth knowledge about social mobility barriers and how to tackle them. It also ensures that those support networks are able to keep individuals on track to achieving social mobility, whatever personal problems they encounter.

The University is exemplary in its approach to cultural factors that can hinder social mobility.

Whether it is raising aspirations in white working class communities or challenging career preconceptions among BAME families, its aim is the same - to ensure that background or the circumstances into which an individual is born do not dictate how far they can go in life.

Insights and Assessment

It is crucial, therefore, that the University of Bradford remains at the heart of life in Bradford, as an anchor, bringing together and supporting local partnerships to deliver opportunity for the city.

However, in the wake of COVID 19 there will be additional challenges for these families. It has been seen that coronavirus is more likely to prove fatal for those from black and ethnic minority backgrounds. It will also have a disproportionate economic effect on those communities with people from black and minority ethnic households being twice as likely to report that they have lost jobs or income.

The number of students now coming to the University of Bradford from those postcodes where traditional participation in higher education was lowest is rising faster than in the rest of the UK as a whole, as acknowledged in its award as University of the Year for Social Inclusion in 2019. Its intervention is enabling them to transform their life situation as they pursue their career ambitions. Furthermore, the majority of graduates are finding opportunities within the West Yorkshire region, proving that social mobility is possible without moving to opportunity-rich London.

• The University has recruited three full-time equivalent personnel to work with schools with a high proportion of low attainment children aged nine to 13.

• The University has eight full-time staff whose primary focus is disability.

• Graduate Workforce Bradford, of which the University is part, aims to place 60 BAME graduates in employment, placements or internships.

• 85 per cent of the University’s graduates are in a professional or managerial position within six months of graduation.

The University of Bradford has demonstrated that it can play a connector role for all those communities in Bradford and the surrounding areas which are the least advantaged and the most likely to be hit hardest by an economic downturn, predicted in Bradford to decrease by 35% as a result of coronavirus.

It enhances the life opportunities for those people who attend, nurturing them as they go from school children to working adults. It benefits them as individuals but also provides talent and therefore wealth for the local community, encouraging it to remain in the local area rather than move away to other cities in Yorkshire or further afield.

The role of universities in society, and the impact that they can have on social mobility, extends way beyond purely academic and employment measures. It is crucial, therefore, that the University of Bradford remains at the heart of life in Bradford, as an anchor, bringing together and supporting local partnerships to deliver opportunity for the city. The impact of COVID-19 will be significant on already disadvantaged communities so it is even more important that the vital role that Opportunity Areas, and the University as intrinsic to that in Yorkshire, can continue to develop and respond to local circumstances. The University of Bradford has shown that its model works because of that local focus. Without it, the ambition to level up in this part of Yorkshire would fail so it is vital that it continues to play a dynamic part in driving social mobility in the wider region.

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Recommendation

Recommendation Opportunity Anchors for Opportunity Areas The Social Mobility Pledge is working with over 500 businesses and universities to ensure that, no matter where they are born or what

their start in life, everyone has access to the same opportunities. It is

encouraging them to adopt a purpose-led approach, with determined leadership and a strategic approach to achieve that for the long term.

This report demonstrates that the University of Bradford’s successful place-based approach and a focus on vibrant, local partnerships is hugely effective in delivering opportunity for the City Region and for its communities who are often furthest away from a level playing field. Our recommendation for further action is an ‘Opportunity Anchors for Opportunity Areas’ campaign, a model for tackling poor social mobility through local partnership. Working with the Social Mobility Pledge, will help to develop ambitious plans for an extension of Opportunities Areas to cover many more areas of entrenched disadvantage. It should focus on three key approaches:

with schools, employers, councils, local health services and other organisations to ensure that a joined up, locally owned set of educational priorities is delivered. With its pivotal role in the local community, it should continue to build on what it has already achieved in Bradford.

Leadership

The impact of the work that the University of Bradford has done to tackle social mobility issues has been significant. It has acted as a catalyst in connecting up talent to opportunities locally, able to attract students and boost their employability while harnessing the support of employers. It should continue to develop links with businesses to ensure that they have the confidence to invest in Bradford.

That will also ensure that graduates remain in the City, retaining a skilled workforce in the community

Universities are in a unique position to lead the way in helping set the Further Education Agenda and are well placed to make a significant contribution to the country’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

The University of Bradford has already demonstrated its leadership by positioning itself at the centre of the City’s efforts to level up its communities. As a key partner in the Bradford Opportunity Area, it already works

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It should continue to display that leadership by working with the Social Mobility Pledge to develop a blueprint for the next phase of Opportunity Areas so that they can be effective responders to the current economic challenges.

Impact

The Social Mobility Pledge has provided an overview and analysis of the key characteristics of life outcomes across some of the key areas around the University, as shown in the Appendix.

It should consider where the opportunity gaps are to inform future community engagement.

These could include: • Strengthening partnerships with employers, particularly in STEM-related and health and care careers • Enabling real change and help in closing BME awarding gap by tackling structural inequality • Promoting engagement and belonging for students with mental health problems • Raising and broadening the aspirations of young people from socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and providing them with a better understanding of the job opportunities and career routes open to them • Supporting groups who are under-represented in higher education, such as refugees, asylumseekers, care experienced students and estranged students.

Advocacy Finally, the University of Bradford will play a major role in the Levelling Up agenda across a

wide range of sectors, including education, health and local government, and in Parliament, highlighting the impact of the campaign and helping determine and shape the Higher Education agenda and Government policy on ensuring that equality of opportunity is extended to other communities across the UK. The University will play an increasing role as a key system leader working across the education sector to promote education as the key lever for social inclusion and mobility.

As a university in a social mobility coldspot, The University of Bradford should advocate for an extension of Opportunity Areas as a way in which the Government can meet its commitment to level up in those areas where opportunity is needed most. It should acknowledge that this is a long-term project which should have measurable aims and effective assessment.

Its ambition should be to deliver highly educated, highly skilled people back into their communities who will in turn reap the economic and social rewards of the ideas innovation and skills that they will bring with them.

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Bibliography ¹ Social Mobility Commission (2019). Social mobility in Britain – state of the nation 2018 to 2019. https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/social-mobility-in-great-britainstate-of-the-nation-2018-to-2019 [6] Department for Education (2017). Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential – a plan for improving social mobility through education. https://assets. publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment_data/file/667690/ Social_Mobility_Action_Plan_-_for_printing.pdf [7]² City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (2018). Intelligence Bulletin: Poverty and deprivation. https://ubd.bradford.gov.uk/ media/1441/poverty-and-deprivation-may-2018update.pdf /

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Department for Education (2017). Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential – a plan for improving social mobility through education. https://assets. publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment_data/file/667690/ Social_Mobility_Action_Plan_-_for_printing.pdf

[8]³ City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council (2017). Intelligence Bulletin: Ethnicity in Bradford. https://ubd.bradford.gov.uk/media/1348/ethnicityin-bradford.pdf

[9]⁴ Bradford City of Sanctuary website: https:// bradford.cityofsanctuary.org [10]⁵ Demos-PwC (2019). Good Growth for Cities 2019. https://www.pwc.co.uk/goodgrowth

Data Analysis

Data Analysis Bradford Analysis Part A: Social Mobility Introduction Bradford University is an anchor institution in Bradford, West Yorkshire. In this section of the Opportunity Action Plan we analyse the challenges those individual communities face in terms of social mobility and the impact of COVID-19. The combined and interlinking impact of those two elements enable us to quantify a community’s “Opportunity Gap”. For the purposes of this analysis we have focused on Bradford itself although we acknowledge the University has a much wider positive impact on surrounding communities.

Social Mobility research conducted in 323 local authorities in England and Wales shows the top 20% of local authorities are labelled as ‘hotspots’, areas where social mobility is good, and the bottom 20% of local authorities are identified as ‘coldspots’, areas where social mobility is poor.

It is important to note that just because an area is designated a hot or cold spot based on the current rankings, that is not the complete picture. An area which is a social mobility hotspot for most indices can also mask sharp decline in social mobility at different life stages such as early years.

Bradford, for instance, was noted as being a social mobility coldspot, and in 2017 it was announced that it would become an ‘Opportunity Area’ - in essence meaning that it would receive government funding and support in order to improve the life chances of the people growing up there. Detailed analysis of Bradford’s specific issues allowed the opportunity area to identify four priorities that it will work on. Because 21% of schools are viewed by Ofsted as having inadequate leadership, strengthening school leadership is a priority. Employers often note concerns around poor literacy in Bradford, where only 54% of boys achieve the expected standard, and so improving English literacy and language skills is an area of focus. Improving access to rewarding careers has been chosen as something to focus on due to the feeling of a culture of low expectations, and using evidence to remove barriers to learning takes advantage of the world leading research centre located in the city. These themes were picked specifically for Bradford because of the data and opportunities to capitalise on existing infrastructure.

These complexities highlight that social mobility cannot be tackled with a ‘one size fits all approach’. Therefore, a thorough understanding of the challenges those individual communities face is vital and we assess social mobility below through those life stages.

Overall Ranking Office

Local Authority

Constituency

Main Campus

Bradford

Bradford West

400

Bradford

Bradford East

266

Bradford

Bradford South

520

Ranking/533 constituencies

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Life Stage National Rank/533 Early Years

267

Schools

489

Youth

266

Adulthood

327

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Bradford West

Bradford West

Data Analysis

Percentage of Nursery providers rated outstanding or good by Ofsted

92

Percentage of children eligible for free school meals achieving a good level of development

55

Percentage of children eligible for FSM attending a primary school rated outstanding or good by Ofsted

71

Percentage of children eligible for FSM achieving at least the expected level in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2

35

Percentage of children eligible for FSM attending a secondary school rated outstanding or good by Ofsted

30

Average Attainment 8 score for pupils eligible for FSM

39

Percentage of young people eligible for FSM that are not in education, employment or training (positive destination) after completing KS4

88

Average points score per entry for young people eligible for FSM at age 15 taking A-level or equivalent qualification

23

Percentage of young people eligible for FSM at age 15 achieving two or more A-Levels or equivalent by the age of 19

40

Median weekly salary of all employees who live in the local area

355

Average house prices compared to median annual salary of employees who live in the local area

4

Percentage of people that live in the local area who are in managerial and professional occupations

19

Percentage of jobs that are paid less than the applicable Living Wage Foundation living wage

22

Percentage of families with children who own their home

67

Data Analysis

Bradford West Analysis The University of Bradford’s campus is located within the Bradford West Parliamentary constituency. This part of Bradford scores poorly on the Social Mobility Index; in only one indicator is it in the top half of all 533 constituencies.

Early Years Bradford West is ranked 267 out of 533 for the early years indicators. Ninety-two percent of non-domestic childcare providers are rated outstanding or good by Ofsted, slightly less than the national average of 93%. Despite this, 55% of children eligible for free school meals manage to achieve a good level of development at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, which is slightly better than the national average of 53%.

School The school life stage is the area Bradford West performs most poorly at, being ranked 489th out 533. In terms of attainment, only 35% of FSM-eligible children achieve the expected level in reading, writing and maths by the end of Key Stage 2. The secondary school attainment measure, the ‘Attainment 8’ score does match the national average for free school meal eligible pupils but this is despite just 30% of Bradford West’s FSM children going to a good or outstanding school, compared to the national average of 72%.

only 35% of FSM-eligible children achieve the expected level in reading, writing and maths by the end of Key Stage 2.

Youth

The youth stage is Bradford West’s best life stage, although it still ranks just outside the bottom 50% of constituencies. Eightyeight percent of FSM eligible children find a positive destination (education, employment, or training) after Key Stage 4, which matches the national average for the same group. While the average A Level or equivalent points score for FSM children is 23, slightly worse than the national average of 26, 40% of those children will gain two or more A Levels or equivalent by the age of 19 compared to the national average of 34%.

Adulthood Bradford West falls to 327 at the adulthood life stage. Average weekly earnings of £355 compared to the national average of £443 put Bradford West as the 25th worst area in England for earnings, despite a higher than average (78% vs 75%) number of jobs paying the real living wage. Although houses in Bradford West are amongst the most affordable in the country, being just 4 times the annual salary compared to the average 8, home ownership is not dramatically higher: 67% of families with children own their own home, compared to 65%. Just 19% of jobs in the area are in managerial or professional jobs, compared to the average 30%, putting Bradford West in the bottom 30 of all constituencies on this metric.

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Life Stage National Rank/533 Early Years

97

Schools

449

Youth

216

Adulthood

343

50

Bradford East

Bradford East

Data Analysis

Percentage of Nursery providers rated outstanding or good by Ofsted

94

Percentage of children eligible for free school meals achieving a good level of development

57

Percentage of children eligible for FSM attending a primary school rated outstanding or good by Ofsted

70

Percentage of children eligible for FSM achieving at least the expected level in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2

35

Percentage of children eligible for FSM attending a secondary school rated outstanding or good by Ofsted

54

Average Attainment 8 score for pupils eligible for FSM

39

Percentage of young people eligible for FSM that are not in education, employment or training (positive destination) after completing KS4

87

Average points score per entry for young people eligible for FSM at age 15 taking A-level or equivalent qualification

28

Percentage of young people eligible for FSM at age 15 achieving two or more A-Levels or equivalent by the age of 19

36

Median weekly salary of all employees who live in the local area

376

Average house prices compared to median annual salary of employees who live in the local area

4

Percentage of people that live in the local area who are in managerial and professional occupations

22

Percentage of jobs that are paid less than the applicable Living Wage Foundation living wage

25

Percentage of families with children who own their home

62

Data Analysis

Bradford East Analysis Bradford East is one of the neighbouring constituencies to the University of Bradford’s campus, located in Bradford West. Bradford East scores much higher than Bradford West in terms of the Social Mobility Index, although it still does not score highly. At 266 out of 533, it is the middle ranked constituency in England.

Early Years

Youth

At 97 out of 533, Bradford East scores its highest ranking in the Early Years life stage. Ninetyfour percent of nurseries are ranked good or outstanding, slightly beating the national average of 93%, and 57% of free school meal eligible children achieve a good level of development, higher than the 53% national average.

At the youth stage, Bradford East rises to become the 216th constituency. However, while 36% of FSM eligible young people gain two or more A Levels or equivalent by 19 compared to 34% nationally, and the average A Level points score in Bradford East for that cohort is 28 compared to a national 26, slightly fewer than average FSM eligible young children end up in a positive destination after KS4, at 13% compared to the national average of 12%.

School Unfortunately, the strong performance in early years is not replicated at the school stage, where Bradford East scores most poorly. Only 70% of FSM eligible children are in a good or outstanding primary school, much lower than the average of 83% and this results in just 35% of children eligible for free schools achieving the expected level in reading, writing, and maths by the end of KS2. Although the much worse attendance is replicated at secondary school (only 54% of FSM eligible children attend a good or outstanding secondary school in Bradford East, compared to 72% nationally), the attainment 8 score matches the national average of 39.

Adulthood Bradford East again falls to be in the bottom half of constituencies at the Adulthood life stage. Similarly to Bradford West, a lower than normal housing affordability does not translate into higher home ownership, which at 62% places Bradford West as the 369th constituency for this metric. Although 75% of jobs pay the real living wage as a minimum, which is the same as nationwide , only 22% of jobs are managerial or professional compared to an average of 30%, and the average weekly earnings in Bradford East are £376. This last figure is the area’s single worst measure, where it ranks at 466 out of 533 constituencies.

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Life Stage National Rank/533 Early Years

252

Schools

533

Youth

478

Adulthood

464

52

Bradford South

Bradford South

Data Analysis

Percentage of Nursery providers rated outstanding or good by Ofsted

95

Percentage of children eligible for free school meals achieving a good level of development

50

Percentage of children eligible for FSM attending a primary school rated outstanding or good by Ofsted

55

Percentage of children eligible for FSM achieving at least the expected level in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2

34

Percentage of children eligible for FSM attending a secondary school rated outstanding or good by Ofsted

20

Average Attainment 8 score for pupils eligible for FSM

35

Percentage of young people eligible for FSM that are not in education, employment or training (positive destination) after completing KS4

85

Average points score per entry for young people eligible for FSM at age 15 taking A-level or equivalent qualification

22

Percentage of young people eligible for FSM at age 15 achieving two or more A-Levels or equivalent by the age of 19

28

Median weekly salary of all employees who live in the local area

372

Average house prices compared to median annual salary of employees who live in the local area

4

Percentage of people that live in the local area who are in managerial and professional occupations

19

Percentage of jobs that are paid less than the applicable Living Wage Foundation living wage

31

Percentage of families with children who own their home

63

Data Analysis

Bradford South Analysis The worst of the three Bradford constituencies, Bradford South is the 13th worst constituency in England for social mobility. It is only in the top half of constituencies for one life stage, Early Years, and is the worst ranked constituency at the school stage.

Early Years

Youth

At the early years life stage, we see a high level of good or outstanding nursery availability in Bradford South. Ninety-five percent of providers are ranked good or outstanding by Ofsted, beating the national average of 93%. Unfortunately, this does not result in higher attainment at the end of the early years foundation stage where only 50% of children eligible for free school meals achieve a good level of development, slightly worse than the national average of 53%.

Bradford South remains poor at the youth stage, its ranking of 478/533 only just keeping it out of the bottom 50 constituencies. 15% of FSM-eligible children end up out of education, employment, or training after completing Key Stage 4; across England that figure would be slightly lower at 12%.

Only 28% of young people who are FSM eligible will achieve two or more A Levels or equivalent by the age of 19, worse than the England average of 34%; those that do go into further education have an average points score per entry of 22 compared to 26 if they were studying elsewhere in England.

School The school life stage is where Bradford South performs worst: in fact, it is ranked as the worst constituency in England for this stage at 533/533.

Just 55% of FSM-eligible children attend a primary school rated good or outstanding (the fifth worst score in England), a trend that continues into secondary school where only 20% of FSM-eligible children attend a good or outstanding school. The national averages are 83% and 72% respectively.

The lesser proportion of attendance at good or outstanding schools results in poorer attainment levels, with only 34% of FSM eligible children attaining the expected level of reading, writing and maths by the end of Key Stage 2, and the average attainment 8 score for that same cohort is 35 compared to an average of 39 nationally.

Adulthood At the adulthood life stage, Bradford South again performs poorly, ranking at 462/533 constituencies in England. Roughly a third (31%) of jobs pay below the real living wage, which contributes to average weekly earnings in Bradford South being just ÂŁ372, compared to an average ÂŁ443. Similar to Bradford East, a significantly lower cost of housing (houses are just four times the annual salary compared to eight times nationally) does not translate into increased homeownership, with just 63% of families owning their own home compared to 65% nationally. Only 19% of jobs in the area are managerial or professional, significantly worse than the national average of 30%.

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Data Analysis

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Data Analysis

Bradford Analysis Part B: Covid-19 Impact As well as considering the social mobility baseline for a community, our analysis also reflects the developing impact of coronavirus on opportunity. The Office for Budget Responsibility’s Covid Reference Scenario predicts that the economy of the United Kingdom will contract by 35%, with unemployment potentially peaking at 10million.

But just like the issue of social immobility, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is varied across the UK. While the 35% national average figure is high in itself, it is the case that some areas – predominantly in the North West and Midlands – will see their economic growth reduce by almost 50%. Only one of the twenty hardest hit areas are in the South East or London.

In addition to the significant diversity of geographic impact estimated by the Centre for Progressive Policy, the Resolution Foundation point to previous data suggesting that there is likely to be a large impact on those leaving full time education and graduating into an economy in the midst of turmoil. In the 2008 Recession, the unemployment rate across the whole population rose from 5.2% in 2007 to 8.5% in 2011; for those with GCSE equivalent qualifications the unemployment figures were 22% in 2007 and 32% in 2011.

An exacerbating factor for those leaving full time education without a degree is the varied impact of the virus on different sectors of the economy.

While sectors such as financial sectors will emerge from the coronavirus pandemic relatively unscathed, with a contraction of just -5%, sectors like retail and hospitality, which have a higher proportion of workers who haven’t completed higher education, will contract by -50% and -85% respectively.

The health impacts for the coronavirus pandemic show that it is more likely to kill people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, but the economic impacts are disproportionately hitting BAME people as well: polling done by BMG for the Independent has also shown that people from black and minority ethnic households are almost twice as likely as white Britons to report that they

have lost income or jobs. Lord Woolley, the Chair of the Race Disparity Unit, has pointed out that while “the virus itself doesn’t discriminate, the system does, and that has left BAME communities extremely vulnerable both on health and economic ground”.

So the data suggests a varied and profound impact across locations, ages, education levels, and ethnicity. This has a worrying impact for social mobility in the United Kingdom, as we predict that 8 out of 14 measures used to calculate social mobility will be impacted. We have combined existing place based social mobility analysis with the predicted impact of coronavirus to estimate the size of a communities developing “Opportunity Gap” and ranked these throughout England.

From our analysis we believe that there are 16 areas in England at risk of a ‘double opportunity hit’: already amongst the worst areas for social mobility, they are going to be particularly badly hit by coronavirus. These areas are Babergh, Bolsover, Broxtowe, Cannock Chase, Corby, Crawley, East Cambridgeshire, East Northamptonshire, Erewash, Melton, North Warwickshire, Norwich, Rutland, South Derbyshire, Tamworth and Wellingborough.

Bradford is a social mobility coldspot, ranked at 277 out of 324 local authorities, and was one of twelve areas to be designated as an ‘Opportunity Area’ by Rt Hon Justine Greening in her time as Secretary of State for Education, meaning it receives government and business support with the goal of making targeted interventions to promote social mobility. Bradford manages to escape the ‘double whammy’ of also being a covid coldspot as well as a social mobility hotspot, but its economy is still predicted to decline by 35%, matching the decline of the UK economy overall.

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Data Analysis

Bradford’s Economy Sector

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

GVA (£m)

185

249

449

370

837

308

949

296

1419 608

584

GVA (&)

2

2.7

4.9

4.0

9.1

3.4

10.4

3.2

15.5

6.6

Decline (%)

-85

-40

-17

-70

-90

-5

+50

-45

-55

-40

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

1244 360

1130

14

6.4

13.6

3.9

12.3

1.9

-20

-20

-35

-50

-60

Bradford’s Largest Sectors Sector GVA (£m)

Manufacturing

Real Estate

Wholesale and retail

Human health

Education

1419

1244

1130

949

837

Biggest Impacted Sectors Sector Predicted Decline

Education

Accommodation and food

Construction

Other services

Manufacturing

-90%

-85%

-70%

-60%

-55%

The top five sectors in Bradford’s economy are manufacturing, real estate, wholesale and retail, human health, and education. Two of these, manufacturing and education, are also in the five worst impacted sectors. Bradford is somewhat buffered from taking a larger hit to its economy by having a large human health and social work sector, which has been noted as being the largest differentiator of the areas which are at higher or lower risk of impact.

Sector Key 1 Accommodation and food services 2 Administrative and support services 3 Agriculture, mining, electricity, gas, water and waste 4 Construction 5 Education 6 Financial and insurance activities 7 Human health and social work activities 8 Information and communication 9 Manufacturing 10 Professional, scientific, and technical activities 11 Public administration and defence 12 Real estate activities 13 Transportation and storage 14 Wholesale and retail (including repair of motor vehicles) 15 Other

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Data Analysis

Local Authority

Opportunity Gap

Ranking

Corby

318

1

South Derbyshire

310

2

Wellingborough

308

3

Melton

306

4

North Warwickshire

296

5

Bradford

180

112

Our analysis shows that Bradford is the 112th most impacted area in England, out of 310.

Its vulnerability as a social mobility coldspot, ranked at 277/324 is somewhat lessened by an economy that shrinks a proportionate amount to the rest of the country (matching the national contraction of 35%), where it is only the 83rd worst hurt local authority area in England, out of 317.

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