The Widening Participation Fair at Ashton Sixth Form College this year welcomed more education providers than ever before. 

Students from across the college were able to spend their lunch time finding out about the incredible Widening Participation opportunities available to them after they leave college. 

The aim of widening participation programmes are to encourage students to aim high and provide those from under-represented groups with the opportunities to progress on to university. Under-represented groups can include students who are the first in their family to consider university, who come from areas/postcodes where progression to university is low, who are young carers, who have disabilities and more. 

Education providers from across the country visited the college to speak to students including universities, collaborative network programmes, specialist institutions and foundations. 

Thank you to the providers who attend the fair including:

• The University of Bradford
• Edge Hill University
• Ernst and Young Foundation
• Greater Manchester Higher
• The University of Leeds
• Leeds Arts University
• The University of Manchester
• Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU)
• Northumbria University
• Sheffield University
• The University of Southampton
• The University of York