Former Education Secretary Praises University on Campaign to Level up Higher Education

A national effort is underway to level-up Britain in the recovery from Covid-19 by improving access to job and progression opportunities to help young people reach their full potential.

The University of Lincoln has been a key partner in the development of a new set of goals designed to focus on key life stages, from early years through to adulthood, and to provide a benchmark to track progress.

The ‘Levelling Up Goals’ have been designed and published by former Cabinet minister, Rt Hon Justine Greening, alongside Britain’s leading businesses and universities to pinpoint key challenges that, if resolved, would create a level playing field on life and job opportunities.

Rt Hon Justine Greening, said: “If Britain is to achieve levelling up, I believe that we need a galvanising set of Levelling Up Goals that can unite Parliament, business, communities and civil society to work in partnership for the common good of our country. These goals give us a clear set of objectives to level up communities.

“Time is of the essence. Covid-19 has levelled down our country and therefore made levelling up not only more urgent, but even harder. Whilst the solutions may vary, I believe that these Levelling Up Goals can transcend party politics and set clear objectives for the recovery we need to achieve in our communities. In particular, I know that for different communities, different Levelling Up Goals represent far greater challenges than others. With a clear understanding of the challenges, we can work towards building the recovery in local communities.”

“It’s great to be working with the University of Lincoln. Levelling up is ultimately about change on the ground in communities up and down this country and they are playing a crucial role in progressing talent and levelling up Britain. The University of Lincoln’s support will be absolutely vital. From mental health to supporting our young people to get their schooling back on track, we can work together to make real progress in the recovery from Covid-19.”

The University of Lincoln’s Vice Chancellor, Mary Stuart CBE, said: “The University of Lincoln was created thanks to the vision and ambition of the people in our region. Our mission is to harness the aspirations of our communities and create new opportunities for all, enhancing our economy and society. That original civic mission is what motivates our work today.

“We are committed to increasing social mobility for our people and we are proud that many of our students are the first in their families to go to university.”

Between 2012 and 2016, Justine Greening was the UK’s International Development Secretary and worked alongside the UN and 184 international partners to agree the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs were designed to be a “blueprint to achieve a better more sustainable future for all.”

She hopes the ‘Levelling Up Goals’ will provide the same framework for government, education, businesses, communities and others to get behind and address the long-running lack of social mobility and inequality of opportunity that exists in Britain.

For more on the Levelling Up Goals, please visit the official website www.levellingupgoals.org