At ARU, we work with schools and colleges, employers, public services and community partners to create routes into higher education, support lifelong learning and connect education with regional needs.
Our partnerships range from outreach and subject tasters for young people to work-based higher education: ARU has now supported more than 7,800 apprentices working with over 1,000 employers, with more than 2,500 apprentices graduating. Through these relationships, we aim to make high-quality education more accessible while helping individuals, organisations and communities develop the knowledge and skills they need to thrive.
Supporting lifelong learning through degree apprenticeships
ARU partners with 1,000 employers on our degree apprenticeship scheme, creating flexible routes into higher education that enable learners to earn while they learn. Apprentices are enrolled across 29 degree apprenticeship pathways spanning sectors including nursing, engineering, construction, management and data science. Through these programmes, learners can gain degree-level qualifications while remaining in employment, supporting career progression and professional development throughout their working lives. As of 2025, ARU has supported more than 7,800 apprentices, which have helped to address regional skills shortages, strengthen workforce capacity and create opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to access higher education. By combining academic learning with practical workplace experience, degree apprenticeships contribute directly to lifelong learning, workforce development and economic growth across the region.
Public access to educational opportunities
ARU is committed to making educational opportunities accessible beyond those formally enrolled at the University. Through a range of short courses, continuing professional development (CPD) programmes, professional training opportunities and public-facing events, we support learners at different stages of their personal and professional development. These opportunities enable individuals to develop new skills, update professional knowledge and access higher-level learning throughout their lives, helping to foster a culture of lifelong learning across the communities we serve. The University's commitment to widening participation and educational inclusion is underpinned by its Access and Participation Plan, which was updated for the 2025-29 period and sets out how ARU will continue to promote equality of opportunity and support learners from underrepresented backgrounds. The provisions of our Plan ensure that access to our provision is accessible to all, regardless of ethnicity, religion, disability, immigration, status or gender.
Inspiring future learners through educational outreach
ARU provides an energetic and rich programme of educational outreach activities such as lectures, demonstrations, workshops and school events. We partner with schools, colleges and community partners to encourage educational aspiration and support progression into higher education, with a particular focus on widening participation in higher education. Through a programme of free subject taster days, learners can meet academic staff, experience university facilities and gain first-hand insight into higher education. These activities help young people make informed decisions about their future education and career pathways while supporting schools and colleges in delivering high-quality careers education. Our outreach activities are designed to support the Gatsby Benchmarks and provide meaningful encounters with higher education, particularly for learners who may not otherwise have access to university experiences. By opening our campuses to future learners and delivering targeted widening participation activities, ARU helps raise aspirations, build confidence and create pathways into higher education for individuals from all backgrounds.
In 2025-26, ARU continued to deliver its award-winning residential summer school programme, helping young people from groups underrepresented in higher education experience university life, explore academic subjects and gain confidence in their future educational choices. The programme supports learners from widening participation backgrounds, including first-generation students, care-experienced young people and those from areas with historically low levels of progression into higher education. The initiative has received national recognition for its contribution to widening participation and educational opportunity.
Building partnerships for skills and workforce development
ARU works with employers, public services and professional organisations to help address current and future skills needs. Through its degree apprenticeship programmes, employer-informed learning opportunities and continuing professional development provision, the University supports workforce development across a wide range of sectors. These partnerships help ensure that educational provision remains responsive to labour market needs while providing learners with opportunities to develop skills that support career progression and economic mobility.
Engaging with the general public through science festivals and public learning events
We play a leading role in delivering large-scale public engagement events that promote learning, curiosity and educational aspiration across the region.
Our annual Chelmsford Science Festival, delivered in partnership with organisations including Chelmsford City Council, Chelmsford For You and Chelmsford Cathedral, brings together academics, schools, families, businesses and community groups to explore contemporary scientific and societal challenges through talks, workshops, demonstrations and hands-on activities. The 2025 festival explored the theme Our AI World – Power and Perils and featured a diverse programme spanning science, engineering, health, technology, business, law and the arts, including dedicated schools' activities and free family science days.
The Festival has become a major regional science engagement event, bringing together researchers, schools, families, businesses and community groups to explore science, technology and innovation. In 2025, more than 10,000 visitors attended free, ticketed events across the ARU Chelmsford campus, making it one of the largest public science festivals
in the East of England.
Feedback collected during the festival highlighted its educational impact, with participants reporting increased confidence about higher education and improved understanding of future study options. The festival forms part of ARU's wider commitment to widening participation, inspiring future learners and improving public access to educational opportunities.
ARU academics and students also contribute regularly to wider public engagement initiatives, including science festivals, school outreach events, public lectures and community learning activities across the East of England. Through these events, the University helps make research and higher education accessible to diverse audiences, encourages engagement with science and innovation, and supports learners of all ages to develop new knowledge and skills.
Through educational outreach, widening participation activities, professional development programmes and partnerships with employers and community organisations, ARU extends the benefits of higher education far beyond its campuses. By supporting learners throughout their educational journeys, promoting lifelong learning and helping individuals gain the skills needed to thrive in a changing world, ARU contributes directly to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 and to the creation of more inclusive, skilled and resilient communities.
Last updated: October 2026
To request additions, corrections or changes to the information in these pages, please contact: Dr Zareen Bharucha: [email protected]. Please use the subject line ‘ARU SDG’.