West Thames College welcomed almost 30 universities and higher education institutions from across the country today for its annual Higher Education Fair 2026, giving students the opportunity to explore their future study and career options.
Representatives from institutions spent the day speaking with prospective students about university life, degree courses, apprenticeships and career pathways.
The event featured exhibitors from:
- ASU London
- Brunel University London
- Buckinghamshire New University
- Escape Studios
- Kingston University London
- London Metropolitan University
- London South Bank University
- Middlesex University London
- Oxford Brookes University
- Point Blank Music School
- Royal Holloway University of London
- Solent University
- SP Jain London School of Management
- St Mary's University
- Teesside University London
- University of the Arts London
- University Campus of Football Business
- University for the Creative Arts
- University of Chichester
- University of East London
- University of Essex
- University of Greenwich
- University of Hertfordshire
- University of Reading
- University of Staffordshire London
- University of West London
- University of Westminster
Throughout the event, university representatives highlighted the importance of engaging directly with students and helping them better understand the opportunities available after college.
Carlata from Royal Holloway University of London said: “I think it's really important to give students the opportunity to explore their options after sixth form or college and whether that be through universities or apprenticeships, it's important to explore the different options.”
Emma from University of Chichester spoke about encouraging ambition among young people. She said: “I think it's important to raise aspirations for a lot of students. Some people might think university and higher education is not for them, but there is always something out there for them to explore and opportunities to push their careers into the future.”
Emma from Escape Studios explained the importance of reaching students interested in specialist creative industries. She said: “We're a niche higher education provider, so it's really important to reach students interested in animation, visual effects and games because they might not know we exist.”
Gareth from University Campus of Football Business highlighted the wide range of careers available within sport. He said: “It’s important for students interested in sport to understand there are many different career pathways into the sports industry beyond the traditional roles people often think about.”
Jahnvi from Brunel University London emphasised the value of face-to-face conversations with students. She said: “It’s important to give young people the opportunity to ask questions directly to universities, clarify uncertainties and discover options they may not have known existed, such as combined degrees, placements and degree apprenticeships.”
Leticia from Buckinghamshire New University said the long-standing relationship with the College made attending the event particularly valuable. She said: “It’s important to show local and semi-local students the opportunities available to them, especially as many West Thames College students apply for our courses.”
Representatives Steven and Christian from St Mary's University also spoke about the importance of inspiring students to consider higher education. They said: “It’s important to be here because we can potentially inspire somebody to go to university who maybe hadn’t thought about it before and start that conversation.”
In addition to exhibiting at the fair, representatives from St Mary's University delivered a bespoke talk to students in the College’s Endeavour Theatre. The session focused on helping students choose the right progression pathway, providing guidance on writing effective personal statements and offering an overview of student finance. The talk gave students valuable insight into the university application process and helped answer common questions about preparing for higher education.
The Higher Education Fair forms part of West Thames College’s ongoing commitment to supporting students with progression opportunities and helping them make informed decisions about their futures.
