Inspiring Success programme returns to create new opportunities for local graduates

• Background
• Inspiring Success workshops
• Eligibility criteria
• Apply now

Background

Loughborough University, UCL and London College of Fashion, UAL, all higher education institutes with bases on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, have teamed up to offer employability workshops and scholarships to local people in east London to study postgraduate degrees. Since its inception in 2015 Loughborough University London has offered a 100% scholarship for local people to come and study at its London campus alongside developing the 'Inspiring Success' programme to support local graduates. In 2023, UCL, which also offers a 100% scholarships to study a postgraduate programme based at its UCL East campus, began working with Loughborough to promote and support opportunities for east Londoners to further their careers and studies.

Now, to support local graduates to access opportunities, UAL’s London College of Fashion (LCF) has announced that it will join Loughborough and UCL to help expand the current ‘Inspiring Success’ initiative. LCF will collaborate on the delivery of employability workshops for interested graduates and share information on the scholarships available related to postgraduate study at LCF. The workshops will allow local graduates to test drive the experience of learning at either LCF, UCL or Loughborough whilst boosting their personal and professional development.

Inspiring Success workshops

UCL, London College of Fashion, UAL and Loughborough University are working together on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to deliver personal and professional development workshops to enhance the employability of east London graduates.

We know that east London is full of talented people so in June 2025 we will be working together to deliver a set of workshops aimed at giving local graduates an employability boost. We will be working with employer partners and local businesses to provide contacts and connections, as well as offering opportunities to find out about scholarships and study routes at Postgraduate level across UCL, London College of Fashion, UAL and Loughborough University London.

Over four evenings in June our expert team will take recent graduates through a process of discovering their own unique selling point, looking at how they market their skills and experience, build their network and get ready for that big interview. The sessions are all delivered in a supportive and inclusive environment giving participants the chance to explore and develop at their own pace. 

The workshops can be a stepping stone for applying to study a master’s programme, at UCL and Loughborough University London where there are a number of scholarships dedicated for local people. At London College of Fashion, UAL some scholarships to study at postgraduate level are related to specific courses and in addition there is the UAL PG Scholarships Scheme which is available to PG courses and provides a partial fee waiver. Find out more about the schemes on the UCL, London College of Fashion and finally, Loughborough London websites.

The workshops are a mini version of what studying for a master’s at Loughborough, LCF or UCL could be like. You will experience the wrap-around support available from our higher education teams who can support potential applicants to Loughborough’s Inspiring Success Scholarship, LCF and UCL’s Postgraduate Scholarships. Additionally, participants will get a chance to focus on their future, develop their CV and online profile and meet local employers.

Eligibility criteria

For the Inspiring Success programme applicants must meet the following criteria:  

• Be a graduate with a minimum of a lower second-class honours degree from a UK university or equivalent overseas qualification recognised by Loughborough University/UCL/LCF. We will prioritise participants who have graduated at least 6 months prior to the start of the programme
• Be currently residing in, and have previously taken GCSE or A level qualifications whilst residing in Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets or Waltham Forest 
• Be currently unemployed or underemployed, earning below £581.30 per week 
• Be willing to become ambassadors of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and actively give back to the local community 

The dates for the sessions in 2025 are:

• Tuesday 3 June – All About You – 5-7.30pm
• Tuesday 10 June – LinkedIn and CVs master class – 5-7.30pm
• Tuesday 17 June – Interviews and Job Applications – 5-7.30pm
• Wednesday 18 June – Speed Interviewing 5-7.30pm
• Thursday 3 July – Final Celebration 5-7pm

How to apply: 
Apply via our online registration form.
Deadline is Monday 2 June 2025. 

Apply now