Hub launched to help inform students about higher education options in South Yorkshire

The new HeppHUB, which provides teachers, advisers and other stakeholders with free resources and impartial information about higher education options, was launched at The Workstation on Tuesday, March 10.

Created by the Higher Education Progression Partnership (Hepp), it aims to inform and support more young people considering their options after secondary school.

The launch event was attended by teachers from schools and colleges in South Yorkshire, partners from Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield, as well and council representatives, and other organisations working with those who need advice and guidance about higher education.

Head of Hepp, Gemma Styles, said: “The HeppHUB means crucially for young people that they’ll get the right advice at the right time. What we’re finding is that part of the problem in South Yorkshire isn’t aspirations, students have the aspiration, what they don’t have is the knowledge of higher education and they don’t know where to go to get that knowledge.

“By empowering the people those young people look to with the relevant knowledge through our outreach hub, whether it’s a teacher or someone who runs a local football club, we can make sure students are getting the right information.”

Higher education includes degree level courses at further education colleges and universities, and higher and degree level apprenticeships.

Wyn Morgan, Vice-President for Education at University of Sheffield and Chair of the Hepp board, said: “What we are trying to do is focus on young people from backgrounds and situations who traditionally don’t get the right support or information.

“The benefit of the HeppHUB is not only that individuals really gain, it’s about the city, the region, ultimately about the economy.”

The HeppHUB builds on the Higher Education Progression Partnership between Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield.

It also supports the work of Hepp’s sister programme, HeppSY, which works with Year 9 students who live in 45 wards in the Sheffield City Region where evidence shows that participation in higher education is lower than expected based on GCSE attainment.