GBS (Global Banking School): Upskilling Communities Through Higher Education

LONDON, March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- GBS (Global Banking School) has launched a Breaking Down Barriers report with The Purpose Coalition in Parliament which showcases how it is changing lives through education and widening participation in Higher Education across the country.  

With over 35,000 students across state-of-the-art facilities in London, Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds, widening participation, addressing skills shortages and ultimately enabling social mobility is at the heart of what GBS does.

GBS offers a range of programmes, with a focus on providing sector-relevant courses to students.

These courses help to address issues facing the UK, like the national housing crisis and NHS waiting times.

GBS also empowers student enterprise through a dedicated Entrepreneurship Team and an Enterprise Hub, helping students either launch new businesses or scale up existing ones. 

CEO of GBS UK, James Kennedy said the report showcases the importance of the work GBS has been doing since its establishment in 2010.

"As a provider of Higher Education, if you really want to extend the offering of high-quality education to groups who normally miss out, you must go down a less traditional path," said Mr Kennedy.

"That's what we at GBS do, and that's why we have managed to have a real impact across the UK in a relatively short space of time.

"If you visit a GBS campus, you will notice that the busiest time is 6pm.

"That's because our student cohort is mature-age, and they are fitting their studies around their busy professional and personal lives.

"We offer classes during the week, on weekends and into the evenings.

"We have structured our processes so that students don't need to fit into our model of operation – it is designed to fit around their needs.

"The Office for Students' 2024 National Student Survey (NSS) 2024 clearly demonstrates that GBS is providing a positive educational experience for the vast majority of its students, with 93% of students in the UK reporting that they were satisfied with the quality of 'teaching on my course'.

"In addition to its satisfaction scores in every category monitored by the NSS from the previous year, GBS ranks above the Higher Education sector average in every category.

"In the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), GBS received a Silver rating for Student Experience and a Bronze rating for Student Outcomes, resulting in an overall Bronze rating. 
This recognition underscores our commitment to fostering a high-quality learning environment and ensuring successful outcomes for our students."

Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Education Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening, welcomed the report: "This report demonstrates how GBS is providing high-quality, transformative education which changes lives. Working in some of the most deprived parts of the country and catering for a diverse student population of all ages, it supports those who often face the biggest barriers to getting on in life and for whom conventional education routes are not an option.  

"On a recent visit to GBS' Greenford campus I saw firsthand how these opportunities were changing lives. In areas which have traditionally been left behind, they provide a boost for local and national economic growth, developing skilled workforces which are fit for the future."

Chair of the Breaking Down Barriers Commission and former member of Sir Keir Starmer's Shadow Cabinet, Nick Forbes CBE, said: "This Government is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to opportunity, regardless of background or circumstance, so that they can make the most of their talents and potential. Three of the five missions it has set out for government closely align with and GBS's work that is showcased in this report – to kickstart economic growth, to build an NHS for the future and to break down barriers to opportunity."

Link to report: Impact Report Final.pdf

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