Launching the iQ Thrive Academy

At iQ, we want to deliver more than a home away from home for our students. We want to help young people to discover their full potential and find an environment that they can thrive in.   

The move to university can be a challenge for all, but we recognise that, for some young people, there are added pressures that come with student life. Students from less socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds can often find that they need more support to reach the opportunities presented to some of their university peers. Whether that means financial support, internship opportunities or simply having the right connections, it’s down to higher education bodies to help create those opportunities.  

We’re ready to make an impact – by providing students with the resources they need to enter post-uni life with confidence.  

We’ve launched the iQ Thrive Academy, in partnership with upReach, to help support social mobility and give our associate students the skills and experience they need for the best possible starts to their careers.   

The iQ Thrive Academy will support 40 students from across the country through a 3-year programme that will help boost their employability skills. The programme will include access to mentors, internships and advice from experts in different industries. Plus, associates will be given access to networking events, iQ’s social spaces, and even an offer of free accommodation to ten students on the programme.    

upReach alumna Tiegan shares that “it’s so important that charities like upReach exist to support undergraduate students from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and that other organisations support them on this mission if they have the capital to do so.” 

“The work of upReach and other social mobility organisations helps the young people who need help right now to get the jobs they want; not the jobs that have been pre-determined for them based on their background.” 

Read more about iQ Thrive Academy and our partnership with upReach here.