A free pilot course, designed to provide intensive support to refugees who are planning to enter higher education, is to be delivered in Brighton and Hove, after a lack of high level English provision in the city and nationally, has been identified as one of the major barriers to their participation at this level.

REMAS (Refugee Education, Mentoring and Support into Higher Education) initiated and facilitated a partnership between the School of Languages at the University of Brighton, the Sussex Language Institute , University of Sussex and the Friends Centre, a long-established community learning centre in Brighton with a national reputation for language and literacy programmes. With EQUAL (European Social Fund) and the Government's Learning and Skills Council funding, CUE (Community University English), a six month English for Academic Purposes course, has been developed, successful completion of which will allow progression to courses at the two local universities

REMAS is funded by Aimhigher and offers a free Information, Advice, Guidance and Advocacy service to refugees in Brighton and Hove, who wish to access university level courses and who may be unfamiliar with how the British higher education system works. Activities include intensive individual casework with Outreach Workers, a short higher education orientation course, mentoring delivered in partnership with a local community organisation and academic advisor meetings which provide potential students with information on their chosen fields.

The project became aware early on in its operation that there was a lack of provision that could equip refugees and migrants, unable to afford commercial courses, with the level of academic English they require for university entry.

The new partnership project is innovative: while most universities run pre-sessional language courses for international and overseas students, there are few opportunities for refugees and migrants who do not have English as their first language to gain similar skills. It provides a supported route into higher education for an often excluded group and it is hoped the project will become sustainable.

The REMAS project has identified an initial cohort of individuals who have higher education as their goal. At the launch event, Yared Teferi said "It will be a bridge for us into the British higher education system." National refugee networks have identified this as a need and will be looking with interest at this pilot project.

For further information please contact Barbara Bargione or Gill Lipson, Refugee Outreach Workers, University of Brighton on 01273 642829.