Refugee Education UK (REUK) are committed to a world where all refugee and asylum-seeking children and young people can access education, thrive in education, and use that education to create a hopeful brighter future. The Faculty of Social Sciences and the BREM network are delighted to offer academic and professional services colleagues this unique opportunity to participate in free REUK training as part of our efforts to bring down barriers within our institution to people taking sanctuary.

The training will take place over two sessions (one in person on campus and one online)

Session 1 (in person): Tuesday 31st October, 10am - 1pm, Room S2.77, followed by lunch

In this interactive, in person session REUK specialist staff will unpack common immigration statuses and the rights and entitlements that accompany these. Drawing on young people’s stories and experiences, we will explore young refugees' and asylum seekers' aspirations for Higher Education as well as the barriers they may encounter.

Session 2 (online): Thursday 2nd November, 10.30-11.30am - online (zoom link to follow)

The second session (online) will focus on finding solutions to some of the most common barriers experienced by young people and will aim to upskill you in the educational, financial and psychosocial support options for young asylum seekers and refugees as they seek to access and thrive in higher education. This session will allow you time and support to apply this knowledge to your role and context and learn from other participants.

The sessions will be delivered by Katie Barringer and Rosy Cockburn from REUK.

Katie Barringer leads REUK's Educational Progression team which encompasses the Higher Education, Further Education and Education Welcome programmes. She is also a member of the Senior Leadership Team at REUK and plays a wider role in REUK's mission, strategy development and governance. Prior to this role, Katie headed up the development of REUK's Educational Mentoring programmes across new locations in the UK, including the West Midlands.

Rosy Cockburn is a Higher Education Coordinator for REUK, supporting young people from across REUK's programmes to access university through advice sessions, case work and workshops. She also helps to facilitate a suite of scholarships provided by the Schwab and Westheimer Trust for young people with a background of forced migration who cannot access student finance due to their immigration status. Prior to joining the HE team, Rosy ran REUK’s mentoring programme in Birmingham.

Please register for this training using this form: Refugee Education training (warwick.ac.uk).