Kingston University secures £1.6m from The Mohn Westlake Foundation to advance Future Skills education

Kingston University has been awarded more than £1.6m from The Mohn Westlake Foundation to further evolve and enhance its sector-leading Future Skills approach to education.

The University’s undergraduate Future Skills programme is designed to ensure all students – regardless of their background – have equal opportunity within the curriculum to develop the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world of work. 

This latest award from the Foundation will build on the success of a long-standing partnership to support positive graduate outcomes and advance social mobility through the continued development and delivery of Future Skills education across the University.

It follows a £1.7m award that funded the establishment of the Centre for Graduate Success in 2022, which brought together and expanded upon a range of activities including the University’s outreach work with schools, colleges and community organisations, personal development and targeted support for student groups who face additional obstacles in the labour market.

This support has been instrumental in enabling the roll out of the Future Skills programme during the past three years, through which students develop nine core human-centric skills most valued by employers before they graduate, including digital competency, adaptability, creative problem solving and collaboration.

Every undergraduate student now benefits from Future Skills as a core, assessed part of each year of their course, through Navigate, Explore and Apply phases, alongside their subject-specific learning. Through the programme, students gain valuable industry experience that supports their skills development through a range of employer engagement opportunities.

Ali Orr, Director of the Centre for Future Skills and Student Success at Kingston University, said the latest award reflected the strength of the University's partnership with The Mohn Westlake Foundation and a shared commitment to supporting student success. "We are incredibly grateful to The Mohn Westlake Foundation for its continued support of Kingston University and our Future Skills approach to education,” he said. “This award will help us build on the strong foundations already established through the Centre for Graduate Success, ensuring that all students can benefit from employer engagement, practical experience and the connections that can help them thrive in their future careers.”

Bringing industry involvement and professional development into every undergraduate course through the Future Skills programme helps ensure students have equitable access to experiences that support their career ambitions and builds their social capital. The new funding will enable the University to strengthen access to these opportunities for all students, particularly those from underrepresented and disadvantaged backgrounds, delivering a high-quality Future Skills experience that will help reduce barriers to success and narrow gaps in graduate outcomes.

It will also support the University’s work to evaluate and understand the impact of Future Skills education through ongoing research. This activity will inform evidence-based enhancements to ensure the programme continues to meet the changing needs of current and future generations of students and employers, reinforcing the University's position as a leader in Future Skills education.

Chair and co-founder of The Mohn Westlake Foundation, Marit Mohn DBE, herself a Kingston University graduate, highlighted the role Future Skills was playing in widening opportunity and supporting student success. "We believe every young person should have access to the opportunities, support and experiences that help them succeed,” she said. “Kingston University's Future Skills approach to education is helping to level the playing field by ensuring all students can develop the skills, confidence and experience needed to achieve their ambitions. We are proud to support a programme that is creating meaningful opportunities for thousands of students."

The Mohn Westlake Foundation, set up by Dame Marit and her son Stian Westlake, aims to make a difference to the lives of young people by providing opportunities they may not otherwise have had, through education, performing arts, or other activities.

• Find out more about Kingston University’s Future Skills education.