Liverpool John Moores University unveils report to tackle barriers to opportunity in Higher Education
Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) has launched a Breaking Down Barriers Impact Report in collaboration with the Purpose Coalition, spotlighting the university’s work to remove barriers and expand opportunity for students, staff, and local communities.
The new report benchmarks LJMU’s activity against the 15 Purpose Goals - an established framework for social impact - and reveals how the university is delivering meaningful change across education, employment, health, enterprise and diversity.
From mentoring schemes for care-experienced pupils, to climate action partnerships and justice-driven legal advice centres, the report sets out a range of initiatives that demonstrate LJMU’s role as a modern civic university. Among the highlights are:
Targeted outreach that supports over 40,000 young people a year, with tailored programmes for underrepresented groups.
Strong partnerships including Shaping Futures and The Brilliant Club, used to extend access to higher education and professional careers.
Local enterprise investment, with LJMU’s Start-Up Hub helping to launch over 1,000 businesses, contributing £20 million annually to the regional economy.
Driving local growth, with LJMU graduates making up 28% of the Liverpool City Region’s graduate workforce - more than any other university - demonstrating the institution’s deep economic and civic contribution to its local area.
The report also makes a series of strategic recommendations to deepen this impact, including prioritising the closure of the Black attainment gap, formalising the sharing of best practice across faculties, and developing socio-economic tracking for staff to further drive equity in leadership pathways.
Liverpool John Moores University Vice-Chancellor & Chief Executive, Professor Mark Power said:
“Widening access and providing opportunity for all is core to our institutional DNA. We continue to seek innovative and creative ways to open our doors so that everyone has an equal chance to realise their own potential, through the transforming power of education.
“This impact report represents a further milestone in our work alongside the Purpose Coalition and outlines our commitment to addressing the socio-economic barriers faced by people in accessing and succeeding in higher education.”
Commenting on the launch, Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Secretary of State for Education, said: “Liverpool John Moores University is a great example of a higher education institution which invests in the hard yards of outreach work. It is tackling social mobility challenges head-on - supporting those furthest from opportunity, creating new pathways into education and employment, and measuring the difference it makes. This Impact Report reflects a university with purpose, but also a plan for long-term, measurable change.”
You can see the full report here: Liverpool John Moores University — The Purpose Coalition - Breaking Down Barriers
