I am pleased to have secured this debate on Government support for higher education. The UK is home to some of the world’s most respected universities and we all benefit from the opportunities, knowledge and growth they create—whether it is for young people pursuing exciting academic ambitions, members of staff supporting students through their studies or small businesses capitalising on the busy trade of a university city, the value of our higher education institutions is undeniable.
In my constituency, residents have enjoyed the opportunities for social mobility and the economic contributions of the University of Essex’s campus in Southend for the past 18 years. During that time, thousands of students have graduated, going on to fuel regional and national economies and finding fulfilling careers in the process. The university’s nursing, midwifery, dental hygiene and social care courses are particularly popular and often oversubscribed. Many of those enrolled grew up in south Essex and go on to work within the area after graduating. The campus is also a major employer of residents, some of whom have worked across catering, student support services and teaching for almost two decades. However, that is soon set to end.
Just before Christmas, the University of Essex announced that it would be closing its Southend campus this summer, throwing the futures of the 1,000 enrolled students into uncertainty and putting 400 jobs at risk. The proposed closure will see a direct loss of £101 million from the city’s economy.
In the wake of the announcement, I have spoken with dozens of staff, students and stakeholders impacted by this decision. I have heard from students like Lulu, a first-year marketing student who was just two months into her course when she was informed of the closure. Lulu describes herself as
“a bright individual who has always enjoyed studying and does not want her educational journey to end”.
There are also stories of dedicated student support staff like Judy, who has worked in the campus accommodation department for the past eight years and now faces the devastating prospect of redundancy.
I have spoken with internationally headhunted lecturers, many of whom came to the UK on skilled worker visas, which could be revoked if their roles disappear. I met one Brazilian lecturer who spoke about the impending impact of the threat of compulsory emigration on her young family. If her job was lost, she would have just 60 days to leave the country. To her, the threat of deportation is a frightening reality.
The Forum, Southend’s central library and a well-used community hub, could also be at risk following the closure of the campus.