City Corporation starts scheme for East End care leavers to go to university

Mike Brooke Thursday, July 5, 2012
4:00 PM

Deprived kids brought up in care in London’s East End are getting a chance to go to university.

Only five per cent of 18-year-olds leaving care go on to a degree, compared to 40 per cent of the general population, according to latest statistics.

Now the City of London Corporation is setting up a programme to fill that gap.

The Corporation’s Resources chairman Mark Boleat said: “A third of care-leavers aren’t in education, employment or training—they’re without traditional family guidance and struggle to move into higher education.”

It is running a five-day course at the London Southbank University which introduces those between 16 and 20 who are leaving care to higher education, following a pilot scheme last month involving youngsters from Tower Hamlets.

Tung Nguyen, 18, who was on the pilot, said: “I didn’t know about financial help for university until this scheme. I want to work in finance, but didn’t even know how to get that kind of job.”

Guidance on financial help, career routes and requirements help those taking part to realise higher education and professional careers are within reach.