Verian is proud to have supported the University of Essex’s Summer Sleepover 2026 - helping more young people experience university life first-hand and explore the opportunities higher education can open up.
The flagship outreach scheme, organised by Make Happen and the University’s outreach team, gives teenagers from underrepresented backgrounds the chance to stay on campus, take part in academic and enrichment activities, build confidence, and develop the leadership and independence skills that can support their future ambitions.
As a company focused on delivering high-quality social research and evidence, Verian recognises the importance of widening access to the skills, experiences, and pathways that help young people see themselves in research, data, policy, and public service careers.
Verian Group UK provides large-scale data collection and research delivery for the University’s Institute for Social and Economic Research flagship Understanding Society study, supporting longitudinal evidence and social research programmes that inform understanding of people’s lives across the UK.
On 24 June, Vicky Petrie, Charlotte Man, Owen Rami and Aasiyah Tucker from Verian spoke at the event to discuss pathways into a career in social research (outlining routes in through Degree Level Apprenticeships as well as Graduate level entry routes) and support the young people to develop new research skills by discussing how to evaluate the proposed social media ban for under16s.
Through this funding, Verian hopes to help remove barriers to higher education, inspire the next generation of researchers and leaders, and contribute to a programme that gives young people the confidence to pursue their ambitions.