@YHEC1

York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC) provides consultancy and research in Health Economics for the NHS, Pharmaceutical and Health Care Industries

 University of York
yhec.co.uk
Joined June 2011
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Join YHEC at the World Orphan Drug Congress Europe tomorrow for our interactive working group session! Determining whether rare disease evidence truly reflects the patients who will receive a treatment remains a major challenge. In this 60-minute session, we will convene key voices across HTA, statistics, and patient advocacy to explore what a realistic, pragmatic minimum evidence framework should look like. Hosts Stuart Mealing, Andria Joseph, and Charlotte Ahmadu will be joined by seven expert panellists - spanning statisticians, patient advocates, and clinical trial leads, including Dr Sanja Fitzgerald, Dr Samuel Salvaggio, PhD, Dr Solange Roumengous, Dr Debbie Hellenbrand and Dr Yiwei Chen. We’ll explore: 🔹 What constitutes 'representative' evidence 🔹 Practical solutions for small populations 🔹 Building a minimum evidence standard 💡 Working Group: Who Makes the Cut? Defining a Minimum Evidence Standard for Demographic Diversity 📅 When: Tuesday 27 October 🕒 Time: 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute your perspective to an exploratory and high-impact discussion. Find out more about the working group here: yhec.co.uk/event/world-orpha… #WODC #WorldOrphanDrugCongress #RareDisease #OrphanDrugs #MarketAccess #PatientAdvocacy
A green graphic with the YHEC logo in the upper left corner. On the right, the text reads: "Working group. Who makes the cut? Defining a minimum evidence standard for demographic diversity. World Orphan Drug Congress Europe 2026. Tuesday 27 October, 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM".

ALT A green graphic with the YHEC logo in the upper left corner. On the right, the text reads: "Working group. Who makes the cut? Defining a minimum evidence standard for demographic diversity. World Orphan Drug Congress Europe 2026. Tuesday 27 October, 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM".

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YHEC would like to welcome Seb Bamford, who joins us as Research Consultant. Welcome, Seb!
Graphic in white and pink. The text reads: Welcome to YHEC, Seb Bamford, Research Consultant. There is a head shot of Seb Bamford. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top right hand corner.

ALT Graphic in white and pink. The text reads: Welcome to YHEC, Seb Bamford, Research Consultant. There is a head shot of Seb Bamford. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top right hand corner.

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What makes research stand the test of time? 📊 More than 20 years after publication, a YHEC study on the incidence and costs of unintentional falls in older people continues to inform research, policy and practice. Cited over 770 times, the paper has contributed to discussions on falls prevention, health and social care funding, and the economic burden of falls, with its influence extending to international reports and clinical guidance. Our latest blog revisits the research, explores its lasting impact and highlights how YHEC continues to contribute to falls prevention, from economic modelling to machine learning. 🔗 Read the blog to discover the lasting impact of YHEC research: yhec.co.uk/resource/from-200… #HealthEconomics #HealthResearch #FallsPrevention
Graphic in orange and grey. There is a photo of an elderly woman with a stick being helped to walk by a healthcare professional. The text reads: "New blog. From 2003 to Today: The Lasting Impact of YHEC Research on Falls Prevention. A new blog examines YHEC’s publications on falls prevention and how they have impacted discussions, guidance and policy." The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top right hand corner.

ALT Graphic in orange and grey. There is a photo of an elderly woman with a stick being helped to walk by a healthcare professional. The text reads: "New blog. From 2003 to Today: The Lasting Impact of YHEC Research on Falls Prevention. A new blog examines YHEC’s publications on falls prevention and how they have impacted discussions, guidance and policy." The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top right hand corner.

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🔎 What’s shaping the future of health economics and HTA? From environmental sustainability and the evolving European HTA landscape to new research, expert insights and life at YHEC, our October newsletter brings you the latest from across the team. - Discover what we’re taking to ISPOR Europe 2026 - Explore our latest publications and research - Get fresh perspectives on health economics, evidence synthesis and more - Catch up on team news, training and career opportunities 📩 Explore the October newsletter: createsend.com/t/y-599B25CE4… #YHEC #HealthEconomics #HTA #HealthTechnologyAssessment #EvidenceSynthesis
Screenshot of YHEC's October newsletter. There is a picture of the YHEC offices at Enterprise House and the text reads: Welcome to YHEC's October 2026 Newsletter. Discover our latest projects, publications, events and team news. Visit our website. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is at the top.

ALT Screenshot of YHEC's October newsletter. There is a picture of the YHEC offices at Enterprise House and the text reads: Welcome to YHEC's October 2026 Newsletter. Discover our latest projects, publications, events and team news. Visit our website. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is at the top.

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Could offering smoking cessation support at the point of cancer diagnosis improve outcomes and deliver value for money? 🚭 New research explores the cost-effectiveness of integrating smoking cessation services into NHS cancer care. The health economic modelling found the approach was cost-effective across the cancer populations studied, including lung, head and neck, and kidney cancer. The research was co-authored by YHEC’s Sam Harper, Ellen Telfer-Thomas and Robert Malcolm. We’re also pleased to see the research cited in the World Health Organization's Evidence Summary Brief No. 8: 'Tobacco Cessation After Cancer Diagnosis - A Fundamental Component of Cancer Care', highlighting the importance of supporting people to stop smoking after a cancer diagnosis. 📖 Read the article: sciencedirect.com/science/ar… #HealthEconomics #CancerCare #SmokingCessation #YHEC
Graphic in blue and white. There is a photo of a hand holding up a broken cigarette. The text reads: "New Research. Economic and Health Impact of Integrating Smoking Cessation Services into NHS Cancer Care Pathways in England. A Modelling Study. YHEC research on smoking cessation is cited by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer." The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top left hand corner.

ALT Graphic in blue and white. There is a photo of a hand holding up a broken cigarette. The text reads: "New Research. Economic and Health Impact of Integrating Smoking Cessation Services into NHS Cancer Care Pathways in England. A Modelling Study. YHEC research on smoking cessation is cited by the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer." The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top left hand corner.

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How robust are the conclusions of a network meta-analysis? 🔍 In a new commentary, YHEC’s Dr Joe Moss and Erin Barker examine the methodological considerations surrounding a published network meta-analysis comparing selpercatinib with other treatments for advanced medullary thyroid cancer. Their commentary highlights important considerations for interpreting the findings, including differences in trial populations, the assumptions underpinning indirect comparisons, and the need to assess proportional hazards when analysing progression-free survival. Approaches that could strengthen the analysis and support more reliable comparisons between treatments are also discussed. Read the commentary in Frontiers in Endocrinology: doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2026.1… #HealthEconomics #EvidenceSynthesis #NetworkMetaAnalysis #HTA
Graphic in maroon and white. There is a photo of a woman holding her neck with the thyroid highlighted. The text reads: New publication. Commentary: Selpercatinib Versus Multi-Kinase Inhibitors for Advanced Medullary Thyroid Cancer: a Network Meta-Analysis of RET-Targeted Therapies. Frontiers in Endocrinology. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top right hand corner.

ALT Graphic in maroon and white. There is a photo of a woman holding her neck with the thyroid highlighted. The text reads: New publication. Commentary: Selpercatinib Versus Multi-Kinase Inhibitors for Advanced Medullary Thyroid Cancer: a Network Meta-Analysis of RET-Targeted Therapies. Frontiers in Endocrinology. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top right hand corner.

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⏳ One week to go! The countdown is on for World Orphan Drug Congress (WODC) Europe 2026 in Amsterdam! The YHEC team (Stuart Mealing, Andria Joseph and Charlotte Ahmadu) are getting ready for a busy few days of discussions surrounding rare disease innovation, HTA, and market access. 🗓 Don't forget to catch our working group on defining minimum evidence standards for demographic diversity in rare diseases taking place on Tuesday 27 October at 11:30 AM. Will you be attending? Drop us a message to arrange a catch-up or say hello to us during the conference at booth 303! 👋 See you next week! #WODC #WorldOrphanDrugCongress #RareDisease #OrphanDrugs #MarketAccess #PatientAdvocacy
A blue infographic with the YHEC logo in the upper left corner. Below this, the text reads: "World Orphan Drug Congress Europe 2026, 26 to 28 October 2026, Amsterdam, Netherlands". The WODC logo is located in the bottom right. On the right side of the graphic, there are three individual images of the YHEC staff attending and the text reads: "Stuart Mealing, Director of Pharmaceutical Consulting; Andria Joseph, Project Director; Charlotte Ahmadu, Senior Research Consultant".

ALT A blue infographic with the YHEC logo in the upper left corner. Below this, the text reads: "World Orphan Drug Congress Europe 2026, 26 to 28 October 2026, Amsterdam, Netherlands". The WODC logo is located in the bottom right. On the right side of the graphic, there are three individual images of the YHEC staff attending and the text reads: "Stuart Mealing, Director of Pharmaceutical Consulting; Andria Joseph, Project Director; Charlotte Ahmadu, Senior Research Consultant".

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YHEC would like to welcome Max Baker, who joins us as Research Consultant. Welcome, Max!
Graphic in white and blue. The text reads: Welcome to YHEC, Max Baker, Research Consultant.. There is a head shot of Max Baker.. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top left hand corner.

ALT Graphic in white and blue. The text reads: Welcome to YHEC, Max Baker, Research Consultant.. There is a head shot of Max Baker.. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top left hand corner.

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🥾 40km for a great cause! Members of the YHEC team have taken on a 40km walk to raise funds for Age UK York! 💙 We’re proud of our colleagues for taking on this challenge to support a charity making a difference to older people in our local community. A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the team so far. If you’d like to help us raise even more, there’s still time to donate! 👉 Support the team here: justgiving.com/page/chris-ba… #YHEC #AgeUKYork #Fundraising #Teamwork
The YHEC team assembled for the walk at York Railway Station.

ALT The YHEC team assembled for the walk at York Railway Station.

Black and white photo of 6 members of the YHEC team walking across a field.

ALT Black and white photo of 6 members of the YHEC team walking across a field.

6 members of the YHEC team posing for a selfie mid-walk

ALT 6 members of the YHEC team posing for a selfie mid-walk

10 members of the YHEC team walking past York Racecourse, with a sign behind them saying "Welcome to York"

ALT 10 members of the YHEC team walking past York Racecourse, with a sign behind them saying "Welcome to York"

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📢 Meet YHEC at the Health Innovation North Conference 2026! We’re delighted to be exhibiting at the Health Innovation North Conference on 22 October at the Hilton Hotel Tyne Bridge. YHEC’s Rachael MacDonald and Barbara Uzdzinska will be attending to connect with leaders from across the NHS, academia, local government and industry, and explore how innovation and collaboration can help transform health and care. 🤝 Attending? Come and visit our exhibition stand to find out more about our work and discuss opportunities to collaborate. We look forward to seeing you there! #HealthInnovationNorth #HealthcareInnovation #DigitalHealth #LifeSciences
Event promotional graphic with a teal dotted background and a large orange arrow pointing up. Top banner shows four regional logos: Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, North West Coast, Yorkshire & Humber, and Manchester. Text reads: "We are exhibiting at Health Innovation North — Turning Conversation into Collaboration." Date and location details at the bottom right read: Thursday 22nd October 2026, Hilton Hotel Newcastle Gateshead.

ALT Event promotional graphic with a teal dotted background and a large orange arrow pointing up. Top banner shows four regional logos: Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria, North West Coast, Yorkshire & Humber, and Manchester. Text reads: "We are exhibiting at Health Innovation North — Turning Conversation into Collaboration." Date and location details at the bottom right read: Thursday 22nd October 2026, Hilton Hotel Newcastle Gateshead.

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YHEC Senior Research Consultant, Melissa Pegg, hosts the final webinar of five in our free series on the foundations of sustainable healthcare on Friday 27 November. Melissa is co-founder and was the inaugural chair of the Environmental Sustainability in Health Technology Assessment (ESHTA) Working Group. Across this series, she has examined why incorporating environmental sustainability into evaluation frameworks may help support the long-term sustainability of healthcare systems. November's webinar: How Might Environmental Sustainability be Evaluated in Health Technology Assessment? 📅 Friday 27 November 🕐 1pm GMT Register on our website: yhec.co.uk/product/free-yhec…
Graphic in pink and white. The text reads: "Online training. Environmental Sustainability Webinar Series. How Might Environmental Sustainability be Evaluated in Health Technology Assessment? Friday 27 November 1pm. There is a headshot of Melissa Pegg and the text says: "Melissa Pegg: Senior Research Consultant." The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top right hand corner.

ALT Graphic in pink and white. The text reads: "Online training. Environmental Sustainability Webinar Series. How Might Environmental Sustainability be Evaluated in Health Technology Assessment? Friday 27 November 1pm. There is a headshot of Melissa Pegg and the text says: "Melissa Pegg: Senior Research Consultant." The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top right hand corner.

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⏱️ If a health technology saves healthcare professionals’ time, does it actually save money? Not necessarily. Following her presentation at HTAi 2026, YHEC Project Director Rachael MacDonald explores why the economic value of time-saving health technologies is more complex than simply multiplying hours saved by staff costs. Released time may create valuable capacity without generating an immediate cash saving. And the value of that time depends on how it is released, how it can realistically be used, and who benefits. Rachael considers: 🔹 How much released time needs to be productively redeployed for a technology to become cost saving 🔹 Why two minutes saved across many clinicians isn't necessarily equivalent to a continuous hour of usable capacity 🔹 How released time can support patient care, quality improvement, training, staff wellbeing and reduced overtime 🔹 Why economic evaluations may need to look beyond immediate financial savings Read the full blog to explore a more realistic approach to valuing time-saving health technologies: yhec.co.uk/resource/does-sav…
Graphic in blue and white. There is a headshot of YHEC's Rachael MacDonald. The text reads: New blog. The text reads: Does saving healthcare professionals’ time really save money? Rethinking the value of time-saving health technologies. Rachael MacDonald Project Director. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top left hand corner.

ALT Graphic in blue and white. There is a headshot of YHEC's Rachael MacDonald. The text reads: New blog. The text reads: Does saving healthcare professionals’ time really save money? Rethinking the value of time-saving health technologies. Rachael MacDonald Project Director. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top left hand corner.

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Can reducing opioid use for chronic pain also represent good value for money? A new economic evaluation of the I-WOTCH trial, co-authored by YHEC's Dr Joe Moss, examines the costs and health outcomes of a group-based intervention designed to support people with chronic non-malignant pain to reduce their use of strong opioids. The analysis found that the intervention was more costly but generated additional QALYs over the lifetime of participants, with a base-case ICER of £29,543 per QALY gained. The study also highlights the importance of the assumptions used to model the longer-term effects of reducing opioid exposure, with results showing some remaining decision uncertainty. Read the full article to find out more about the economic evaluation and what it means for decision-making around opioid reduction: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/… #ChronicPain #Opioids #HEOR #CostEffectiveness
Graphic in white and pink. There is a photo of hands pouring pills. The text reads: New publication. Reducing Opioid Use for Chronic Pain with a Group-Based Intervention: Economic Evaluation Using Randomised Controlled Trial Data. Addiction. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top right hand corner.

ALT Graphic in white and pink. There is a photo of hands pouring pills. The text reads: New publication. Reducing Opioid Use for Chronic Pain with a Group-Based Intervention: Economic Evaluation Using Randomised Controlled Trial Data. Addiction. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the top right hand corner.

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How systematic do systematic reviews of health economic evaluations really need to be? A new paper by YHEC’s Chris Bartlett, Rachael McCool and Professor Matthew Taylor examines how systematic reviews of health economic evaluations are prescribed by HTA agencies, how they are conducted in practice, and whether methodological deviations actually matter. Reviewing HTA guidance and SR-HEEs submitted to NICE in 2024, the authors found mixed methods in practice, but no major concerns raised by External Assessment Groups and no apparent influence on reimbursement decisions. The paper argues that the heterogeneity of economic models creates a ‘rigor gap’ between systematic review theory and practice, and proposes a more pragmatic two-stage approach: 🔹 Early ‘landscape mapping’ to support model conceptualisation 🔹 A formal systematic review only when a specific, useful research question has been identified Could a more pragmatic approach make HTA more efficient while reducing research waste? Read the open-access paper: link.springer.com/article/10… #SystematicReviews #HTA #HealthTechnologyAssessment #EconomicEvaluations
Graphic in dark blue and white. There is a picture of wooden blocks spelling out the word "method". The text reads: New publication. Methods in Systematic Reviews of Health Economic Evaluations in Submissions to Health Technology Assessment Agencies: How Systematic Are They, and Does This Matter? PharmacoEconomics. The YHEC 40th Anniversary logo is in the top left hand corner.

ALT Graphic in dark blue and white. There is a picture of wooden blocks spelling out the word "method". The text reads: New publication. Methods in Systematic Reviews of Health Economic Evaluations in Submissions to Health Technology Assessment Agencies: How Systematic Are They, and Does This Matter? PharmacoEconomics. The YHEC 40th Anniversary logo is in the top left hand corner.

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📢 Introducing the SUSTAIN-HTA Learning Hub and a new e-learning course on environmental aspects in HTA The SUSTAIN-HTA Learning Hub is a new online training platform designed to strengthen capacity in innovative Health Technology Assessment (HTA) methods. Developed jointly by academic institutions and HTA bodies, the Learning Hub brings together training needs assessment, SUSTAIN-HTA e-learning courses, external training resources and methodological guidance in one place. 🌱 The first new course focuses on Environmental Aspects in HTA, introducing key methods and frameworks for assessing environmental impacts and exploring how environmental evidence can be systematically incorporated into HTA. We’re pleased to highlight the contribution of YHEC colleagues Melissa Pegg, Professor Matthew Taylor and Hannah Ross, who were involved in the development of this work. 🔗 Find out more about the Learning Hub: sustain-hta.org/learning-hub… #SUSTAIN_HTA #HorizonEurope #HealthTechnologyAssessment #HTA #HealthResearch #HealthPolicy #ELearning
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💡 Working Group: World Orphan Drug Congress Europe 2026 We are thrilled to share that YHEC will be leading an interactive working group at this year's event! Stuart Mealing, Andria Joseph and Charlotte Ahmadu will be hosting a roundtable discussion on defining minimum evidence standards for demographic diversity in rare diseases. The working group discussion is titled: Who Makes the Cut? Defining a Minimum Evidence Standard for Demographic Diversity Don’t miss this opportunity to contribute your perspective to this exploratory discussion as we bring together patients, regulators, HTA bodies, clinicians, researchers, and industry to examine what demographic and equity-relevant information is minimally necessary to judge if rare disease evidence is sufficiently representative and meaningful. 📅 When: Tuesday 27 October 🕒 Time: 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Find out more about the working group here: yhec.co.uk/event/world-orpha… #WODC #WorldOrphanDrugCongress #RareDisease #OrphanDrugs #MarketAccess #PatientAdvocacy
A green graphic with the YHEC logo in the upper left corner. On the right, the text reads: "Working group. Who makes the cut? Defining a minimum evidence standard for demographic diversity. World Orphan Drug Congress Europe 2026. Tuesday 27 October, 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM".

ALT A green graphic with the YHEC logo in the upper left corner. On the right, the text reads: "Working group. Who makes the cut? Defining a minimum evidence standard for demographic diversity. World Orphan Drug Congress Europe 2026. Tuesday 27 October, 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM".

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🌍 Can health technology assessment (HTA) help healthcare systems achieve carbon net zero? As healthcare systems work to reduce carbon emissions, how can environmental impacts be incorporated into HTA decision-making while balancing sustainability with health outcomes? Join Professor Matthew Taylor, CEO of York Health Economics Consortium (YHEC), for an Atrium Pulse webinar exploring the challenges and trade-offs involved in using HTA to support carbon net zero targets. The session will explore approaches to incorporating carbon considerations into HTA, including shadow pricing, and findings from a population survey on willingness to trade life expectancy for carbon reductions. 📅 Thursday 15 October 2026 | 9:00–9:30 am 💻 Online 🔗 Register here: atriumcph.com/courses-and-pr… #HTA #HealthEconomics #Sustainability #NetZero #HealthTechnologyAssessment
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40 years of YHEC. 40km for Age UK York. 💙 To celebrate 40 years of YHEC, our staff are taking on a 40km walk along the York Millennium Way, raising money for Age UK York. It’s a chance to mark this special milestone together, explore our home city on foot and support an organisation doing important work to improve later life for older people across York. If you’d like to support our team, you can make a donation here: justgiving.com/page/chris-ba… 40 years. 40km. One great cause. #40YearsOfYHEC #40YearsOfImpact #AgeUKYork #Fundraising
Graphic in green and dark blue. It shows maps of the York Millennium Way, two photos showing YHEC staff walking, a photo of Micklegate in York and a photo of York Minster from the city walls. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the bottom left hand corner. The text says: Charity challenge! A 40km walk for Age UK York.

ALT Graphic in green and dark blue. It shows maps of the York Millennium Way, two photos showing YHEC staff walking, a photo of Micklegate in York and a photo of York Minster from the city walls. The YHEC 40th anniversary logo is in the bottom left hand corner. The text says: Charity challenge! A 40km walk for Age UK York.

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“How can you put a price on someone's life?” It's a challenging question, and one that gets to the heart of health economics. This summer, YHEC welcomed a group of work experience students, whose questions explored everything from NHS funding and disease prevention to medicine development and waiting lists. In his latest blog, YHEC CEO Professor Matthew Taylor shares five of their questions and explores what they reveal about the decisions facing healthcare today. 🔗 Read the blog: yhec.co.uk/resource/how-can-… #HealthEconomics #WorkExperience #YHEC
Graphic in pink and white. There is a headshot of Matthew Taylor. The text is a quote and it says: "The best work experience students have a remarkable ability to ignore all the assumptions the rest of us have quietly accepted over the years. They ask the questions that everyone else is thinking but is too polite, too busy, or too accustomed to the status quo to ask." Professor Matthew Taylor, CEO of YHEC. The YHEC logo is in the top left hand corner.

ALT Graphic in pink and white. There is a headshot of Matthew Taylor. The text is a quote and it says: "The best work experience students have a remarkable ability to ignore all the assumptions the rest of us have quietly accepted over the years. They ask the questions that everyone else is thinking but is too polite, too busy, or too accustomed to the status quo to ask." Professor Matthew Taylor, CEO of YHEC. The YHEC logo is in the top left hand corner.

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