UPP is rising above the recent doom and gloom as it celebrates another spectacular year with occupancy levels of more than 99 per cent across its portfolio of university partners.
Media Centre
09/06/2011 - UPP host ‘Get into Construction’ programme at Nottingham Trent University
UPP has worked with its partners at Nottingham Trent University to host 15 young people on The Prince’s Trust ‘Get into Construction’ programme. The aim of the programme is to give unemployed 18-25 year olds experience of working on a construction site and the opportunity to learn about careers and prospects within the industry. This is the second training programme that The Prince’s Trust has been able to offer at Nottingham Trent University thanks to UPP, who are sponsoring the course.
Sean O’Shea, UPP Chief Executive, said: “As the leading provider of student accommodation and campus infrastructure, UPP is committed to providing training opportunities for young people at our sites, and across our wider business. Like our university partners investing in the communities in which we work is central to our values. Through our partnership with The Prince’s Trust we are helping young people to gain the experience they need to realise their potential, get a job, and get on in life.”
02/04/2011 - University of Reading selects UPP for pioneering £200m campus deal
UPP has been selected as preferred bidder to deliver a groundbreaking estate transfer and redevelopment deal with the University of Reading. The pioneering deal will provide over £200 million investment for the University and will see UPP operating a total of 4,170 rooms for the University as well as managing the University accommodation office. This is the single largest private sector residential investment into a UK university to date.
Sean O’Shea, Chief Executive of UPP, said: “We’re delighted that the University of Reading has chosen to widen and deepen its relationship with UPP. Having worked in partnership with the University for over a decade, we’re proud to have been awarded the chance to support the University in delivering its vision for residential provision across the campus. We’re pleased to be providing a solution which brings private sector investment into the HE sector and will enhance the student experience.”
19/02/2011 - Chief Executive profiled in The Times
UPP’s Chief Executive, Sean O’Shea was profiled in The Times discussing his passion for the UK’s higher education sector. He said: “This country has world-class higher education and we must keep hold of that. It has to be adequately financed and, with the deterioration in public funding, we are well positioned to provide private sector funding into that sector.” He went on to discuss UPP’s model and bridging the funding gap: “Affordability is always a key driver for us. We don’t want students who are unable to pay the rents. We can help [the HE sector], as this sector is attracting different investors, such as pension funds, looking for long and predictable income streams.”
10/02/2011 - UPP and The Prince’s Trust get young people into construction
UPP’s partnership with The Prince’s Trust has enabled unemployed young people the chance to get hands on experience in the construction industry. For the second year running, UPP partnered with The Prince’s Trust, the University of Exeter and construction partners, Cowlin to host a ‘Get into Construction’ scheme. This year 14 young people worked on-site at two of UPP’s student accommodation sites, which form part of the university’s £275 million investment programme. Sean O’Shea, Chief Executive of UPP, said: “We are committed to providing training opportunities and investing in the local communities within which our partners operate. Through this partnership we are helping young people to access valuable skills and build a career in construction.”
23/12/2010 - Shared-service savings could yield £2.7bn savings for HE sector
In a recent Policy Exchange report entitled Higher Education in the Age of Austerity – Share Services, Outsourcing and Entrepreneurship, UPP was cited as a campus infrastructure specialist and a though leader in its joint venture partnership model. Alex Massey, the report’s author, said: “there is no reason why activities such as accommodation, IT systems, catering, administration and other non-core services should always be provided in-house, and far too many institutions replicate functions that could be carried out on a shared basis.”