LOCAL institutions have secured millions of pounds in funding to get more ethnic minorities and young men from disadvantaged backgrounds into higher education.

Bradford College, the University of Bradford, and Leeds City College, which runs Keighley College, are part of a group that has been awarded £6.75 million of government funding for the two year project.

The group of 12 educational institutions, which also include Calderdale and Kirklees Colleges which will be known as Go Higher West Yorkshire will work together to “inspire disadvantaged young people to study at university level.”

This will involve staff working closely with schools and community groups to encourage young people from backgrounds that don’t normally consider continuing education once they reach 18.

The consortium is one of 29 groupings across the country sharing £60million-a-year funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, through the National Collaborative Outreach Programme.

The official launch of the event will be on January 24.

Chris Millward, director of policy at the funding council, said the funding would help young people “in some of our most disadvantaged communities.” He added: “Our evidence has shown that there are young people in these areas who are achieving the qualifications they need to benefit from higher education, but are not currently doing so.

“The programme will ensure that they are better equipped to make the right choice for them by exposing the range of higher education options available and the careers they make possible.”

The government wants to double the proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in higher education by 2020, increase the number of students in higher education from ethnic minority groups by 20 per cent, and address what they say is an “under-representation” of young men from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Richard Thomas, Provost of Bradford College, said: “We are committed to supporting the government agenda for widening participation and welcome this investment which will help us further grow our activity in this area and help us develop the high level skills that will support the growth of the regional economy.”

Professor Margaret House, Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University and Chair of the Go Higher West Yorkshire Partnership said: “ Raising aspirations and inspiring young people to perform to the best of their ability is at the heart of this initiative, and we are all very excited by the opportunities that this funding provides. Through our collaborative package of outreach activity, this programme provides a fantastic opportunity to transform the futures of young people in the region.”

Funding will run until December 2018, and funding for a further two years will be provided if the group manages to meet its goals.

A Bradford Council spokesman said: “We know that raising education standards in our district is key to improving people’s life chances and driving economic growth.

“We welcome Bradford College and Bradford University securing funding to be able to run new programmes to raise young people’s aspirations.

“Across Bradford a joint post-16 strategy has been developed by Bradford Council, schools, businesses, colleges and the University. We are working together to make sure that we can develop post-16 education in the Bradford District that can deliver the highest standards for our young people and our community.

"Bradford’s Education Covenant sets out our belief that strong schools, colleges and other post-16 settings are essential if we are to have strong communities, economic growth and a healthy society.”