Facebook Live Higher Education advice events

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To support those looking to progress to higher education while they are at home during the COVID-19 lock down.

Description of the activity

Nationally, as UCAS events have been cancelled, Sunderland College and Northumberland College moved to a virtual opportunity to offer advice and support to those who are considering a progression to higher education.

Teams across the colleges, including careers, FutureMe and recruitment officers delivered three sessions for each college around higher education finance and pathways, the applications process and life as a higher education student. The Facebook Live events included a ten-minute presentation or talk and an opportunity for viewers to ask any questions that they have.

Following on from the success of the events, the recruitment team are now rolling out a regular slot on Facebook live for Sunderland College, Northumberland College and Hartlepool Sixth Form giving the opportunity to anyone to ask questions about courses and careers.

Key stakeholders/collaborations

UCAS
Support staff including Marketing and Engagement Team, FutureMe, and Student Support

Evidence of impact

2,064 viewers across the three sessions for Sunderland College
2,149 viewers across the three sessions for Northumberland College.
A total of over 200 engagements, including likes, questions and shares
Around 65% of those engaged were females ages 25-34

Staff feedback

“As a team our role is to support those who are thinking about their future career and advising them on how higher education can help them to achieve their goals. During lockdown, we are taking a digital approach to offering that guidance and support and Facebook Live offered a great platform to do this. The success has been fantastic, we got some great feedback, and we’re planning to do more events like this in the future.”

Visitor feedback

“I applied to Northumbria through UCAS following access to health course at college. Been qualified as a RMN for a year now! Well worth it!”

Top tips (step-by-step guide) for replicating

Choose staff who are comfortable and confident to engage on a live platform.
Pre-promote your events to your target audience by email and social media.
Ensure full training is given to those delivering the sessions.
Have another member of staff on-hand to answer any questions asked in the comments.
Monitor your video engagement using Creator Studio
Follow up any enquiries received
Post the video on your Facebook timeline for those who couldn’t catch the live session

Barriers and how they were overcome

Training staff – staff were briefed via a Teams meeting before the event and encouraged to familiarise themselves with the platform prior to ‘go live.’

We are now looking at other opportunities to offer Facebook Live across the group.