Supporting student success through Future Skills

Helping more students build the skills and confidence to succeed, thanks to The Mohn Westlake Foundation

Creating opportunity for every student

With support from The Mohn Westlake Foundation

More than 14,000 students each year are benefiting from Future Skills, thanks to continued support from The Mohn Westlake Foundation. Embedded across all undergraduate courses, our sector-leading approach to Future Skills education helps students develop the skills, confidence and knowledge they need to succeed at university and beyond.

By embedding opportunities usually offered outside of the curriculum into every course, Future Skills helps ensure that all undergraduate students – regardless of their background – can benefit from industry experiences that enhance their personal and professional development.

The Foundation’s support has included a £1.7m gift in 2022 which supported the establishment of The Centre for Graduate Success and roll-out of the Future Skills programme.

The journey and impact of Future Skills

2022

The Centre for Graduate Success established and first phase of Future Skills piloted

2026

First cohort completes the full three-year Future Skills programme

16,000+

undergraduate students now benefiting each year

~100

employer partners working with students through Future Skills

How Future Skills prepares our graduates for success

Hear from the first full Future Skills cohort about the experiences, skills and confidence they gained during their time at Kingston University.

Ophelia Bevilacqua, Environmental Science with Hazards and Disasters BSc (Hons)

“Future Skills has taught me how important critical thinking is and helped me understand some of the challenges facing industry.” 
Amay Pandey, Computer Science BSc (Hons)

“Future Skills has given me newfound insights into the skills that are most desirable by employers for a successful career.” 
Megan Lartey, Psychology BSc (Hons)

"When I look back at everything I've done over the three years, I am really proud of myself. It's proof of my growth and evidence that I'm a different person now."
Antonio Bourouphael, Fine Art BA (Hons)

“Working on a live brief encouraged me to develop my ideas and to balance my own artistic style with the identity of a major brand.”
Amal Yussuf, Pharmaceutical Science BSc (Hons)

“Future Skills has helped me think broadly beyond an academic mindset. I feel confident in my ability to adapt and take opportunities as they come.”

Support beyond the curriculum

The impact of the Foundation’s support also extends beyond the curriculum. Our partnership with them began in 2018 when they made a gift of £835,000 to support our Head Start programme, doubling the number of students able to take part and establishing dedicated support for standalone students.

Since then, the Foundation has continued to invest in student success. During the pandemic, a £1.03 million gift provided laptops, data packages and employment opportunities for 1,000 of our most disadvantaged students. Its investment of £1.67 million in 2022, which helped establish the Centre for Graduate Success, also funded targeted initiatives to improve outcomes for students from underrepresented groups, directly engaging more than 400 students annually through the University’s ELEVATE programme and reaching 2,500 school students annually through outreach activity.

We believe that every young person should have access to the opportunities, support and experiences that help them succeed.

Kingston University's Future Skills approach to education is helping to level the playing field by ensuring all students, regardless of background, 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.

Marit Mohn DBE, Chair and Co-founder of The Mohn Westlake Foundation