2013• YOUNG PEOPLE FACE TRIPLE DIP

RECESSION OF ‘OPPORTUNITY, JOBS,AND PROSPECTS’, SAYS NUS PRESIDENT

• TONI PEARCE ELECTED FIRST NUS PRESIDENT FROM FE

• FULL ELECTION RESULTSAND PHOTOS

NEWS NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

“Young people face triple dip recessionof opportunity, jobs and prospects”In his opening remarks to the NUS

annual national conference in

Sheffield, NUS president Liam Burns

said the real triple recession facing

young people is a recession of

opportunities to study, job availability,

and prospects for the future.

Citing evidence in a report from theNew Economics Foundation (NEF),commissioned by NUS, Liam said thecurrent youth jobs crisis is not asymptom of the economic crisis but afar more ingrained problem.

The NUS president said that educationand work are intrinsically linked, arguingthat both NUS and it's member students’unions must campaign to improve alabour market that is failing a generation.

“It is very likely that the unemploymentlevel for young people will tip across theone million mark. This means arecession of opportunities to study, arecession of jobs for young people, anda recession of prospects for the future,”he said.

“While previous generations may havelooked on the labour market as a land of opportunity, this generation looks on it as the abyss.

“The current youth jobs crisis is notsimply a recessionary ‘blip’ but a long-term and deep-seated problem. Ourlabour market is failing to delivereconomic prosperity, social justice andwellbeing for the majority.”

Over a thousand delegates gatheredin Sheffield to debate and set NUS’policy and elect new leaders for the year ahead.

NUS recently published the findingsfrom its ground-breaking Pound inyour Pocket research into how financialissues affect students’ lives.

Liam drew upon how the report canprovide an evidence base for stepping

up the student movement’s work onsupport, saying “we need to adoptnew policies and campaigns forgetting money into students’ pocketsthat are ambitious, evidence-based,realistic and deliverable.”

Closing his speech, Liam told thepacked conference floor that “over thenext three days, you will be thejudge… the responsibility forrepresenting those seven millionstudents is in your hands”.

“The current youth jobs crisisis not simply a recessionary‘blip’ but a long-term anddeep-seated problem”

NEWS NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

Toni Pearce has today been elected as president of the National Union of

Students (NUS) at the union’s National Conference in Sheffield.

Toni, who is currently NUS vice-president (further education) becomes the firstNUS president who has not been to university.

More than 450 of NUS’ affiliated students’ unions are in further education (FE)institutions and the majority of the students NUS represents are in FE.

In her manifesto, Toni said her priorities for her presidency would includelinking college and university students’ unions together to fight for local wins inthe upcoming general election, to campaign for a single central admissionssystem for all colleges and universities, and to increase efforts to organise andsupport students to run and win campaigns in their local areas.

Speaking after her election, Toni Pearce, NUS president-elect, said:“I’m really proud to have been given the opportunity to build the student

movement around a vision for public education, and to be leading NUS as webuild towards the next general election.

“Between now and 2015 we need to hold a full and frank debate about whateducation means to society and to properly articulate the public value ofeducation in communities up and down the country."

Toni Pearce elected first NUS President from FE

“I’m really proud to have been given the opportunity to leadNUS as we build towards the next general election”

President of NUS inSwaziland asked for“solidarity and thehand of friendship”Maxwell Dlamini, president of the

Swazi NUS, addressed national

conference by recorded video.

The Swazi NUS is a studentorganisation campaigning fordemocracy, human rights andeducation for all students inSwaziland.

Swaziland is a small country,nearly completely surrounded bySouth Africa. People in Swazilandhave been living in a state ofemergency of the last 40 years,since all political activity andfreedom of association wasdeclared illegal in 1973 by the king.

The youth and studentmovement has been a primetarget of the regime because oftheir active participation in the fightfor democracy and human rights.

In 2011, after organising aprotest march against the king,Maxwell was jailed for ten monthsand has had to surrendertravelling documentation, so hecan’t leave the country.

Maxwell said that students “havea major stake in the future” and sothey must be involved in decisionsthat affect them.

“The youth and studentmovement has been aprime target of the regime”

ELECTION RESULTS NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

Following the completion of various election counts held in both

Sheffield and London, the Chief Returning Officer can now fully confirm

all the election results from NUS National Conference 2013:

ELECTION RESULTS

Full Time OfficersNational President – Toni PearceVice President Higher Education – Rachel WenstoneVice President Further Education – Joe VinsonVice President Union Development – Raechel MatteyVice President Welfare – Colum McGuireVice President Society & Citizenship – Dom Anderson

National Executive CouncilRosie Huzzard Jeni-Marie Pittuck Rhiannon DurransHarry FoxMatt Stanley

Ten other National Executive Councillor positionsBen Dilks James McAsh Peter Smallwood Paul AbernethyCharles BarryChris ClementsJessica GoldstoneEdmund SchluesselMarc McCorkellKirat Raj Singh

Student TrusteesNick Pringle; Kayode Damali; Abi Jenkins

Members of the Democratic Procedures CommitteeSam Gaus; Fatima Junaid; Mike Ross; Jo Johnson; Guy Drury

Videos of the winning speeches are available on:www.nusconnect.org.uk/conference

HIGHER EDUCATION NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

Vice President HigherEducation: Rachel Wenstone

During the higher education policy

discussion, the public value of

education, students as partners, and

success in education were all high

on the agenda.

In order to win the argument forreinvestment of public money intohigher education, we need to betterarticulate and evidence the public value

of higher education. NUS will besupporting students’ unions tocommunicate their public value and thatof their institutions.

“Let’s continue to transformstudents’ lives, force ourinstitutions to step up to theireducation system that we can all be proud of”

Higher Education

Guest speakers: Paul Blomfield MP and Sarah VealePaul Blomfield, MP for Sheffield Central and former

general manager of the University of Sheffield Students’

Union, welcomed delegates to Sheffield City Hall as the

event got under way.

Addressing a packed conferencefloor, he paid tribute to NUS’ recordof campaigning for social good, andsaid that “all those of us who shareprogressive values need to raise our voice”.

He also spoke of the city’s radicalhistory and how students have beenat the heart of it, pointing out that “I have more students in my

constituency than any other in the UK”. Sarah Veale, head of equality and human rights at the

TUC and a former NUS vice president welfare, was thisyear's guest speaker. She addresseddelegates on Conference floor on theevening of the first day.

She spoke with moving convictionabout a range of social mobilityissues, and in particular campaigningfor gender equality.

She told delegates that “it’s adisgrace that we still have a yawninggender pay gap 40 years after theEqual Pay Act”.

Play HE zonevideo on YouTube

The general election in 2015 is animportant opportunity for the studentmovement. Delegates also decided tomobilise supporters ahead of the generalelection to change the perception ofpublic investment in education.

A further discussion Was had aroundaccess as only the first hurdle forstudents in higher education; retentionand success are just as important.Institutions can no longer be passive –they should actively provide support toenable all students to succeed. NUS will be supporting students’ unions over the coming year to drive forward a programme of work on retention,success, peer-to-peer mentoring andacademic engagement.

Delegates also discussedpostgraduate funding, and called forNUS to demand a cap on postgraduatefees for all courses.

“We need to better articulateand evidence the publicvalue of higher education.”

FURTHER EDUCATION NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

Vice President FurtherEducation: Joe Vinson

“I believe that further educationshould be open to the entirepopulation, free to all learnersand tailored to each and everystudent”

Debates were had in this zone

around a more flexible education

system, barriers to participation and

employment.

High on the agenda was a motioncalling for a fair and flexible educationsystem with greater parity betweenfurther and higher education students,as well as opportunities to return to

Further Educationlearning later in life, and accessibleoptions to learn whilst working. As aresult of this being passed, NUS willconsult with FE students on theirviews about the future of furthereducation in the tertiary sector.

The year 2012 saw anunprecedented level of reformproposed for the English qualifications

Fringe: the future of education

system, with a specific focus on A Levels and GCSEs. Delegates calledfor campaigns for a nationalqualifications framework and a moreaccessible platform for students to move between further andhigher education.

Conference also focused onimproving access to funding, andestablishing a learner voice forpeople in vocational education. Itinvolves undertaking research in to‘the experience of work experience’and a campaign to improve pay andconditions for apprentices.

David Morris, a delegate from Durham Students' Union,

wrote about the fringe on 'the future of education'

facilitated by NUS' further and higher education zones

at NUS National Conference. He said:

Attendees were asked to reflect on a number ofquestions that could be holistically understood as ‘whatgood education feels like’. What is exciting andfrustrating? What are our hopes and fears for the future?What communities does it serve and how?

From these discussions I got a real sense of howstudents, asked to step back from the usual slogansand invocations, understand the place of theirinstitutions in public life, and the organic relationship

that education providers and partners have with widersociety and personal development.

The event reflected on the currently disjointedrelationship between learning at school, learning atuniversity, and learning in further education colleges. A vision for future education would surely develop, andperhaps break down, the links between each of theselearning environments.

Discussions like this fringe event, and vanguardpolicies passed at this conference, such as ‘the publicvalue of education’, ‘student partnership’, ‘deepeningpartnership’ and more, are a step towards a moreeffective and mature discourse.

Play FE zonevideo on YouTube

Delegates called forcampaigns for… a moreaccessible platform forstudents to move betweenfurther and higher education

UNION DEVELOPMENT NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

Vice President UnionDevelopment:Raechel Mattey

Union DevelopmentDebates in this zone centred on

supporting and enhancing student

activities and opportunities, and

included a controversial vote on

whether NUS should support direct

action. After technical reassurance,

the amendment that mandated

NUS to support action such as

occupations and demonstrations fell.

In addition, delegates voted toreaffirm the zone’s position on creatinga generation of activists ahead of theGeneral Election in 2015. The motion

on activists and organisers in ourstudents’ unions, including all theamendments, passed.

Across the movement our membersengage in many different activities anddon’t realise that they are learning howto be activists and organisers. Themotion states that by working todevelop our activists and organisers inmany different fields of opportunity, wewill be able to make the most of theunique moment.

NUS will research and promote

the contribution of students involvedin sports, clubs and volunteering tothe local community – articulatingthe public good of tertiary educationand demonstrably buildingsympathy for the student causecome the next General Election.

Supporting student media wasdiscussed in a motion to deepenparticipation in studentopportunities. This motion, statesthat NUS will support student mediaby convening a College of Editors ofStudent Publications. NUS will alsofully explore leadership in the area of student activities, including areport to National Conference 2014weighing up the benefits of a “vice president student activities”.

NUS will also explore thedevelopment of a leadershipacademy, mentoring schemes,different models of working and astudent opportunities barometer as a result of discussions held in this zone.

“When people know our success,our story and how integral ourunions are to local communities,it will strengthen our ability tocampaign and more importantlywin for our members”

Play UD zone videoon YouTube

Abi Jenkins, union chair at the University of Wales

Trinity St. David, wrote about the fringe hosted by NUS

on the topic of mapping participation. She said:

Engaging students and encouraging them to participatein the students’ union is certainly something that I havefound a challenge at Trinity Saint David Students’ Union,and it seems that we are not in a unique situation.

The report from NUS' research report MappingParticipation encourages that we should first askourselves what we want from students and how we wantthem to be engaged? The results indicate that only 4 per

cent of students are involved in the areas of democracyand activism, and that the majority of students areengaged with the union through paid employment andclubs and societies.

Of course there are also a large number of studentsthat are not engaged at all, and so what are the barriersthat we need to overcome to resolve this?

While there will be students that are in further or highereducation solely for the purpose of their education, thereare also students that want to get involved but feel theycan’t and this needs to be addressed.

Fringe: how do you get students doing more in your union?

WELFARE NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

Vice President Welfare:Colum McGuire

WelfareOne of the issues delegates spent a

long time debating in this zone was

whether to campaign to bring back the

education maintenance allowance

(EMA). After impassioned speeches

arguing both cases, the motion fell,

with conference resolving instead to

develop proposals for a better

alternative to EMA.

In addition to EMA, delegatesdiscussed housing standards, fairness instudent finance and communitycohesion. The motion on housingstandards mandates NUS to amass abody of evidence documenting issuesstudents face in relation to privateaccommodation, and how these impacton health, academic attainment, andsocial inclusion.

On student finance, NUS will providesupport to students’ unions on lobbyingfor a fair and transparent approach tostudent debt in their institutions,alongside supporting the ‘No FreeLunch?’ campaign and lobbying foraffordable accommodation.

NUS will also work to set parametersfor how financial support should be

“We have to put welfare at theforefront in order to open upeducation and lead our membersthrough their educational studiesto academic success andpersonal development.”

Fringe: Faith andEqual MarriageGary Spedding, a delegate from

Queen's University Belfast, wrote

about the fringe event on faith

and sexuality issues facilitated

by NUS' welfare zone. He said:

The fringe began with a displayof common media images on theissue of faith and marriageequality. A range of images bothnegative and positive flashedbefore our eyes, helping us toconceptualise the immensepolarisation this particular topichas become in public discourse.

We were asked to thinkcarefully about the diverse way inwhich faith can interact withsexuality. We were thenintroduced to a method termed“silent discussion”, aconversation written down wherewe read questions, responded tothose questions in writing, andresponded further if we wished.

In my opinion this is anamazing way to have arespectful, forward-movingconversation that cuts out theimmediate emotional responsesthat can become overbearing invocal debate.

Having an open mind leads togreater understanding, even if westaunchly disagree with theopinions expressed – frankly it iseasier to hear if we begin to listen.

Play Welfare zonevideo on YouTube

advertised by institutions, as well aslobbying the government to increasestatutory financial support to reflect risesin living costs.

In another debate around communitycohesions, delegates asked NUS toidentify best practice in work aroundstudents’ living off-campus. NUS willprovide guidance to students’ unions onengaging with police and crimecommissioners, as well as helping tomake the case for the importance ofspaces for students to pray, and forstudent representation on local healthand wellbeing boards.

NUS fought hard to reversegovernment plans to cut the £30m, whichserves as a lifeline for young parentsaccessing further education. In additionto this, vice president welfare PeteMercer celebrated the completion of thePound in your Pocket survey and the firstever comprehensive literature review ofthe level of student support available.

A key piece of work for the welfarezone has been the production of anaccommodation cost guide, which willinform plans for a campaign to belaunched later in the year. Pete Mercersaid that accommodation costs are “oneof the biggest issues facing studentmaintenance.

SOCIETY & CITIZENSHIP NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

Vice President Society & Citizenship:Dom Anderson

Society and citizenship was the last

set of motions to be debated at

National Conference, and had a

focus on action and organising for

the General Election.

This section began with a motionon ‘organising now and for 2015’. Asa result of this motion passing, NUS’activist development programme willbe concentrated on supporting

Society and Citizenshipspecific campaigns, such as the livingwage and transport costs. It also lookstoward building for the GeneralElection 2015, stressing “to mobilisestudents and influence politicianslocally ahead of the General Election”.

‘Votes at 16’ was another topicdebated in this zone. Recognising thatthe right to vote is a fundamental partof citizenship, the motion that passed

calls for a set of actions to ensurevotes at 16 is firmly on the agenda atthe 2015 General Election. Thisincludes lobbying political parties,gaining support from MPs, developingcampaign materials and highlightingthe campaign in the media.

Amendment 402a also passed, so inaddition to the main motion aboutVotes at 16, this amendment calls fordirect action during the GeneralElection in 2015. NUS will organisearound local and national elections,starting in May 2013 to get 16 and 17year-olds along to ballot stations andstage sit-ins in protest at their voicesbeing shut-out.

Only two full motions were debatedbefore time came to an end on thissection at National Conference. Theremaining motions will be passed tothe National Executive Council (NEC)to debate further and pass or reject.

NUS’ new report The Modern Jobs Economy sets out

key trends in the current UK labour market and how a

student’s education influences their future employment.

The panel consisted of Faiza Shaheen (seniorresearcher at the new economics foundation), MartinEdmondson (chief executive at Graduates Yorkshire andGradcore), and Josh Smith (education officer at LeedsUniversity Union).

Building on the report, this panel discussion featuredFaiza who drew attention to shifts in employment andstudy trends outlined in the report, highlighting that thereare now many more people with “middle” qualificationsbut far fewer jobs at that level, and there are an increasing

amount of people in low-earning jobs. Martin spoke of his experience in the small and

medium enterprises (SMEs) sector and encouragedworking with these groups to create employmentopportunities for students, citing that “70 or 80 per cent ofnew jobs are created by SMEs”.

Josh spoke about some of the employability work atLeeds University Union, and stressed that such workshould be taken seriously by the student movement. Hesaid: “There are some people who don’t thinkemployability has a place in students’ unions, but I don’tagree with that. We’ve spoken to our students and theysay that employability is important to them.”

“Society and citizenship is aboutcapturing the transformative power of education, to build people’sconfidence to stand up and defy allthe elitist expectations of who shouldand who should not be in education”

Play Soc & Cit zonevideo on YouTube

Fringe: the modern jobs economy

WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

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CONFERENCE IN PICTURES NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

CONFERENCE IN PICTURES NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

CONFERENCE IN PICTURES NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013

CONFERENCE IN PICTURES NATIONAL CONFERENCE 2013