The return to in-person Pathways programmes

This summer has been our first opportunity to hold in-person pathways summer conferences since 2020, and it has been delightful to see everybody together again.

Sara Bram, our Residential Programmes Manager, explains why our conferences are so important and the difference it has made to have them in-person once again.

“The summer conferences give students an immersive experience of university life – staying in halls, attending lectures, and meeting current undergraduate students – which helps them make informed decisions about their future. It brings together Pathways students, university students, staff and industry volunteers all in one place. Taking part in a variety of activities related to university, apprenticeships, careers and life skills, over the course of a few days, means we see students’ confidence and skills develop hugely in a short time.

It’s been so exciting to return to in-person this year – it’s more of a chance to develop personal and social skills. Networking in person with industry volunteers or taking part in a debating masterclass are great experiences for students to draw on in school, university and the workplace. Meeting like-minded students from across the country is really valuable. The residential aspect, staying in student halls, is also a great benefit which can help students decide if going away for university is for them.”

Case study 1 – Sehr Shahid

“Being a student on the LSE Banking and Finance Pathway has given me the insight, knowledge and exposure to a multiplicity of academic areas and career prospects open to students like myself. As the programme continues on throughout the course of A-levels it has complimented and enhanced what I study by adding a university level aspect to stretch and challenge me.

It hasn’t all been strictly academic, we’ve had real experience of what it’s actually like to study and live at University (through the National Finance Conference at Warwick University), and even tours of the financial city, targeted work experience and talks with industry professionals to give us a taste of what type of careers we can choose from. Meeting university students and industry professionals of all levels has been so useful in guiding me, from academic pursuits at university and career options all the way to genuine insights on how balance life at university and work.”

– Pathways to Banking & Finance

Case study 2 – Hollie Wilkinson

“This program has given me so many opportunities that I am so grateful for, but if I had to choose my favourite part of the program so far it’s definitely got to be the fact that I get to experience what studying a law degree is actually like in a practical sense. You can read about it online and talk about it with other law students, but the best way to know whether you would want to study a law degree is to actually see what it is like to study one, and the Pathways program has provided me just with that experience.

The summer conference was such an incredible experience I was so fortunate to be apart of! Not only was Warwick university a wonderful place to stay for the week, but the student life and atmosphere there made me adjust to living in the dorms with other students for a week. Aside from experiencing life at university, the law academic sessions and activities we got to take place in during the week were thoroughly enjoyable. We got to take part in fun activities, like debating sessions, with a company called Debate Mate, where we learnt how debates are structured and how to form a sound and concise argument to a debating topic that was presented to us. It has most definitely solidified my decision to go and study law at university!”

– Pathways to Law