EMS deliver 23% growth for 3m Aimhigher government roadshow

A total of 68,431 students attended the mobile campaign during 2008/9, up from 55,570 in the previous year. 95 per cent of students said they would consider higher education as a result of attending the roadshow.

The roadshow is a key element of the national ‘Aimhigher’ programme to encourage more young people to pursue higher education, in particular those in communities with traditionally low levels of participation.

EMS was appointed by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills as the lead agency for the next three-year phase (2008/9 to 2010/11).

A change made by EMS was the introduction of an interactive experience – including live electronic voting – to engage the target audience of 13-19-year-olds in discussion about the benefits of higher education. 

EMS also introduced five roadshow vehicles, able to accommodate larger student groups and featuring improved on-board technology.

The 2009/10 campaign, which launched on 21 September, has been further refreshed with the introduction of a bespoke intranet site.  Created by EMS, the site provides students with content to supplement the existing programme of face-to-face and video presentations.

The 2009/10 Aimhigher roadshow launched on 21 September and will run for 32 weeks during the academic year.   The fleet of five roadshow vehicles will visit schools and colleges throughout the UK, hosting an average of six student events per day.