We are pleased to announce that we have been shortlisted for two different awards this year for the Social Mobility Awards and Student Social Mobility Awards 2021.

We aim to improve social mobility by creating the conditions for undergraduates from less advantaged backgrounds to access and sustain top graduate jobs. We are already working to support students from disadvantaged backgrounds or groups under-represented in higher education, particularly through our Warwick Scholars Programme.

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Social Mobility Awards: 'University of the Year'

Firstly we have been shortlisted in the 'University of the Year' Category in the Social Mobility Awards. The UK Social Mobility Awards were the first national awards dedicated to social mobility, recognising the forward-thinking organisations that are working to progress social mobility.

This Award has been organised by social justice charity, 'Making the Leap', who has arranged an independent judging panel made up of leading figures of business, charity, the public sector, and chaired by Sir Ken Olisa OBE. The winner will be announced on 14 October 2021.

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Sir Ken Olisa OBE, the HM Lord Lieutenant of London, said:

“The war against Covid-19 has shown just how strong our nation is when we pull together. It has also shown how ‘we’ means people from every walk of life, heritage and ability. There can be no greater proof of the power of social mobility. Now that its value is beyond dispute ‘we’ must pull out all of the stops to make social mobility a reality – even in peacetime.”

Paul Blagburn, the University of Warwick’s Head of Widening Participation, said:

“We are delighted that we have made the shortlist of this prestigious award, there are universities that are doing some excellent work in the social mobility space, and so are we. Our aim is to be recognised as a beacon of excellence for our approach to social mobility and WP evidence-based research and practice nationally and internationally.”

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Student Social Mobility Awards: 'Highest Impact University Initiative Award'

Our Warwick Scholar's Programme has also been shortlisted for the 'Highest Impact University Initiative Award', nominated by our students. The winners of that award will be announced at the House of Lords in September.

Warwick Scholars has grown into a comprehensive programme of activities, opportunities and experiences, designed to level the playing field and aid social mobility. By 2020 our Warwick Scholars community comprised 300+ students and will continue to grow to beyond 1000 in the next few years. Our aim for Warwick Scholars was to create a programme and a community which addressed the barriers to access, progression and success which students from the least socially mobile communities experience.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart Croft said:

“This is a truly transformational social mobility programme, supporting students to get in, get on and give back. It also demonstrates our commitment to maximising the ability of young people from our own local region to directly benefit from being part of one of the world’s top 100 universities.”

“By focusing on our local region we not only give something significant back to our community it is also one of the most effective ways of targeting and reaching young people who have the ability to benefit from a leading university but face other social or economic barriers.”