Linking London Uni Connect Update - January 2026
January 2026 update from Uni Connect.
In December, focus groups with BTEC students at Havering Sixth Form College and interviews with former BTEC students now studying at Birkbeck University took place as part of our collaborative transition project supporting progression into Higher Education. College and HE partners will meet in January to embed the findings into project delivery, with the first student workshops scheduled for February and campus visits to follow.
Through Uni Connect, we continue to match-fund two projects with Birkbeck University supporting under-represented adult learners: a Community Leadership project and a CPD project with Camden Council. Both restart this term.
Our mentoring programme for SEND students at Coulsdon College also enters its second term.
On Wednesday 28 January (1–2pm) we launch our new CPD webinar series for college Careers staff. These “Subject Spotlight” sessions will begin with Psychology, featuring speakers from universities and HE providers discussing curriculum developments, employability and progression routes. Sessions will be recorded and shared via the partner area.
Kick Start projects in Creative and Sport have completed in-college workshops and are now moving into university visits, starting at the University of West London on 27 January. Further visits will take place throughout the first half of term across UEL, Middlesex, Greenwich and West London.
Our collaborative webinar programme also resumes this term, including a Simplifying University for Parents session in February and an Arts-focused webinar in January led by University of the Arts London.