Putting universities at the heart of economic and social recovery

Oxford Brookes University is supporting UUK’s new campaign #GettingResults - putting universities at the heart of the economic and social recovery.

New research published today by Universities UK (UUK), ‘ Universities and the UK’s economic recovery: an analysis of future impact’, compiled by the National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education (NCEE), predicts that over the next five years universities in the South East region will:

• Provide support to businesses and charities worth almost £2.4 billion

• Give 8,000 years’ worth of upskilling and training to businesses and charities

• Help 1,750 new businesses and charities to be formed

• Train 18,000 nurses, 6,000 medics, and 26,000 teachers

Professor Alistair Fitt, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University said: “Our students, staff, researchers, and graduates have so much to offer. We are proud of their knowledge, skills and expertise and look forward to seeing them help businesses and industries bounce back in the years to come. We must now continue to work closely with our local employers and partners, so they are getting the most out of what our university can provide in this challenging process of recovery.”

Oxford Brookes Business School is already supporting local businesses in the Oxfordshire area with its Business Resilience initiative, offering support, partnership and training to help companies recover, reassess and grow.

Jennifer Schivas, Head of Strategy at Oxford based software company 67 Bricks, took part in Oxford Brookes’ Scale Up programme, and says: “The combination of thought leadership and best practice from Brookes, group discussion and facilitated "action learning" sessions have helped us implement changes to our HR and finance processes and company structure. The programme has given me renewed understanding that, yes, scaling up a business is challenging and it’s vital to have a safe space to discuss the challenges and opportunities, access to the right expertise and people to share the highs and lows with. As a result I am confident that as a company we are caring about and prioritising the right things and have the skills and drive to make the changes we need to grow.”

Professor Julia Buckingham CBE, Universities UK’s President, said: "By working closely with their partners, including local government and employers, universities will play a vital role in the UK's post-Covid recovery. Together, they can contribute significantly to future economic success and improve lives. Moving forward it is important that employers fully take advantage of universities’ support and develop productive relationships so the nation can bounce back stronger from the pandemic.”