Common use of Student Progression Clause in Contracts

Student Progression. The University continues to perform well against benchmark measures for progression. Our performance is pleasing given the location of the University, in the North West of England, where the majority of our students come from disadvantaged backgrounds, including 40% from NS-SEC 4-71; and in excess of 20% from some of the most disadvantaged wards in the country2. Although we consider we have a particular strength in supporting such individuals to maximise their potential, both through their attainment at University and in the labour market, they are often inherently disadvantaged in the labour market due to their lack of mobility. Most ‘choose’ to seek local employment with, on average, 80% of our graduates remaining in the North West after graduation3. This is partly because of social and family ties but often also because they lack the financial support to move away from home. Relocation to London and the South East in particular, is financially prohibitive for most. This is relevant as Southern/Eastern regions4 have consistently higher employment rates than Northern/Western regions, with the latter typically trailing by approximately 7%5. Whilst we will seek to at least sustain our position in relation to progression to employment/further study, we recognise that we have further work to do in some areas in relation to graduate level employment measures, despite the excellent progress made in recent years. 1 HESA PIs: young FT UG entrants averaged over the last 3 years 2 HESA PIs: young FT UG entrants 2014-15 from low participation neighbourhoods (LPNs)