Our response to the new Director for Fair Access and Participation announcement

We welcome John Blake to the important role of Director for Fair Access and Participation at the OfS.

“Universities are central to social mobility and levelling up opportunity, and are committed to accelerating access to higher education, particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, while ensuring students have a high quality university experience. Universities stand ready to play a full part in education recovery from the pandemic by reaching out further and wider to the talent of tomorrow and supporting efforts to raise school-age attainment.

“We look forward to working with John to build on the progress the sector has made by identifying areas for further improvement within Access and Participation Plans to create more opportunities for students and help them to develop skills and reach their full potential. It is positive to see a focus on part-time courses, higher technical qualifications and degree apprenticeships and we look forward to working with government to boost demand for more diverse and flexible ways of learning.