Degrees of difference? Degrees of difference?

OverviewOverview• Why participation in HE still mattersWhy participation in HE still matters• Compare the market or confused.com?Compare the market or confused.com?

– Higher education versus Apprenticeships…Higher education versus Apprenticeships…an unhelpful dynamican unhelpful dynamic

• Implications for IAGImplications for IAG• New pathways…blurring the linesNew pathways…blurring the lines

– Developing provision at BCU and UCBDeveloping provision at BCU and UCB• How Aimhigher can help you and your How Aimhigher can help you and your

students students

Clued up…or clueless customers?Clued up…or clueless customers?

of Year 9, 10 and 11 students have no idea what career they want to follow

have a rough career idea, but don’t know which qualifications they need to make it happen

Only 21% know what they want to do and how to get there!

think they have a firm career plan but don’t know what level of qualifications they would need

* Aimhigher survey 918 students in 7 local schools

Options at 16 / 17

Foundation Learning

Foundation Learning

GCSEs (again!)GCSEs

(again!)

Vocational (BTEC)

Vocational (BTEC)

A LevelsA Levels

ApprenticeshipApprenticeship

Employment with trainingEmployment with training

Volunteering with trainingVolunteering with training

Do nothing no longer an option

Do nothing no longer an option

Confused.comConfused.com

Options at 18

Options at 18

More Further Education

More Further Education

Higher Education

Higher Education

ApprenticeshipApprenticeship

EmploymentEmployment

Employment with trainingEmployment with training

VolunteeringVolunteering

Gap YearGap Year

Unemployed?Unemployed?

Learn to earnLearn to earn

Earn and learnEarn and learn

Crash and burn

Crash and burn

How sad is this?

A counter-intuitive market?A counter-intuitive market?• 2010: £9k fees…riots…apocalypse now etc.• Reduced investment: Loss of Aimhigher, Connexions,

EMA etc • 2015: abolition of grants and proposed lifting of £9k

cap

But:• Demand for Young FT HE at an all time high: 512,400 secured

places in 2014 …+3.4% on 2013• +8% former FSM entrants v +4% Non-FSM on previous year• 30.4% of all 18yr olds….11.2% of all 19yr olds• 18yr olds from low participation areas 60% more likely to

enter than in 2004

(UCAS End of Cycle Report 2014)

Job Done?Job Done?Not really…•Loss of grants for disadvantaged students (July 2015 budget)

• The poorer the student the higher the debt (up to £13k?)

•Disadvantaged students still outnumbered 2.5 to 1 in HE

•Males becoming the most under-represented group (especially white working class)

•Social mix in high tariff institutions lags mid-low tariff

•Vast geographical variations…regionally, authority-level, ward level, local area level

•Ambitious targets for Apprenticeship starts…but what about Level 4+?

Lost potential: Lost potential: POLAR• HEFCE’s “Participation of Local Areas” data

• % of 18 / 19yr olds progressing to all forms of HE in a 5 year period

• Quintiles: 1= low 5 = high

• LEA / Ward Level

• Large variations map to

other measures of inequality:– 4.5% Wynnstay, Shropshire

– 100% Marylebone, London

• Why!?

Lost potential: GCSEs and HELost potential: GCSEs and HE

Bartley Green has the biggest gap in Englandbetween what

GCSE outcomes suggest and what actual

progression to HE is.

Bartley Green is a predominantly white, working

class area

1. Learn to EarnBTEC / A levels at 16 (88% of all young people) leading to Higher

Education at 18 / 19 (about 40% of all young people):– Remains essential for certain professions (e.g. medicine, law, science-

based, teaching)– Competitive but high supply (500,000 full-time university places a year)

…“No win no fee”…enter employment at higher level.

2. Earn and Learn– Apprenticeships: about 3% of 16 year olds and

5% of 18/19 year olds. Supply tapers dramatically at L3+. – Jobs With Training: 8% of 18/19 year olds– Jobs with no training: about 25% of 18/19 year

olds

3. Crash and Burn: About 7% of 16 to 19s and 20% of under 25s

What do most 16-19 year olds do?What do most 16-19 year olds do?

Weighing it up:

Degree

Informed Consumer?•UCAS

• Entry profiles• Fees and support

•Key Information Sets• National student survey• Accommodation costs• Contact time• Assessment• DLHE inc salaries at 6

and 40 months•Consumer Law

Information is timely and available at all levels of provision:

• Course• Institution• Sector

Apprenticeships

Informed Consumer?•Apprenticeship Site:

• Search and apply•Ofsted

Plus •Minimum Standards•High level government statistics

Most information is:•National / regional•Sector / framework level•Highly aggregated•Retrospective

Information on Availability & Supply…Access & Competition…Quality & Outcomes

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeships

Supply: HE v Apprenticeships

Apprenticeship Vacancies in England 2013-14Total

Higher Apprenticeships 1,790

Advanced Level Apprenticeship 27,940

Intermediate Level Apprenticeship 136,480

Total Apprenticeship Vacancies 166,220

Traineeship Opportunities 6,030

Total 172,250

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-apprenticeship-vacancies

There were 286 full-time first degree starts for every higher apprenticeship vacancy in 2014

Outcomes: Outcomes: : HE v Apprenticeships

About 70% of Apprentices achieve their qualification

BIS Evaluation of Apprenticeships: May 2012HESA Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education 2012

82% of undergraduates

87%

6%

2.6%

Graduate outcomes: 6 months and 3 ½ years after Graduate outcomes: 6 months and 3 ½ years after graduation…graduation…

• 68% of employed graduates were in “professional” roles

• Average salary was £24,000• So average student loan

repayment = £22.50 per month

• Men more likely to be in high paid roles than women

Higher Education Statistics Agency 2013

It’s not all about money

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/254101/bis-13-1268-benefits-of-higher-

education-participation-the-quadrants.pdf

Reality bitesReality bitesDegrees are a highly regulated but quasi-commercial Degrees are a highly regulated but quasi-commercial “product”“product”Apprenticeships are a government-funded serviceApprenticeships are a government-funded service•Compared to Apprenticeships higher education is highly marketised•In an era of £9k fees the principles and practices of a fully competitive market apply. •The consumer has protection under law, including a right to accurate information on the product and service to be delivered and the mutual expectations of both the consumer and the service provider.

New pathways…blurring the linesNew pathways…blurring the lines

Two local universities outline blended pathways providing Two local universities outline blended pathways providing progression opportunities that cross the vocational ? Academic progression opportunities that cross the vocational ? Academic divide:divide:

•University College Birmingham: Routes into Health and Social University College Birmingham: Routes into Health and Social Care. Simon Chatterton, Director of AdmissionsCare. Simon Chatterton, Director of Admissions

•Birmingham City University: Routes into Construction and Built Birmingham City University: Routes into Construction and Built Environment, Antony Taft, Senior Lecturer. Birmingham School Environment, Antony Taft, Senior Lecturer. Birmingham School of the Built Environmentof the Built Environment

UCB – Apprenticeships • “To promote and provide the opportunity for participation in the learning

process by those with the ambition and commitment to succeed and to maintain a learning community that meets the diverse needs of our students, the economy and society at large”

• UCB provides Learners with options to study in a more traditional format via Further Education, Higher Education and Masters Level Study.

• UCB also offers an alternative pathway through Apprenticeships / Work-based Learning . This allows learners to gain equal weighted qualifications – however structured around the apprenticeships model.

• Learners will also have the opportunity to revisit traditional academic qualifications ( Degree’s) following successful completion of their apprenticeship.

• This Provides a good balance of work based experience and academic achievement. ( Our Apprenticeship Progression Flowchart provides an example of this for health and social care based vocations / qualifications)

Apprenticeship Progression Flowchart

Advanced - Level 3 Diploma in Clinical Healthcare Support or

Health & Social Care 

Higher – Level 5 Diploma Assistant Practitioner (City

& Guilds)

Higher – Level 5 Diploma in Care Leadership and Management (Cache)

 

Level 6 - Degree Apprenticeship in related

subject Area (TBC)

Level 6 - BSc (Hons) Top-Up in Health and Social

Care

Routes to Degree Apprenticeships

Higher and Degree Apprenticeships• Key messages:-• Have the backing of Government and business• An Apprenticeship is a paid job with training, leading to a package of

qualifications which relate to the job• Creates a ladder of progression for apprentices to train to the highest

levels• Could gain professional qualifications via

– Level 4 Higher Education Certificate– Level 5 Foundation Degree– Level 6 BA/BSc– Level 7 MA/MSc

• Pathways craft > technician > professional and managerial skills• Partnerships between FE, HE & employers to create high level skills• Higher Apprentices learn at work developing the knowledge and

occupational competencies demanded by specific job roles

Source: National Apprenticeship Service

Apprenticeship levels

Apprentices can start at level 2 and many progress to level 3 & 4. The most able can progress to Level 6 and beyond.

Degree Apprenticeship

Level 6 & 7 (BSc/BEng Degree & MSc/MEng)

Construction Pathway ExampleDesign Manager

BSc(Hons) Architectural TechnologyMCIAT

Building Services Engineering Site Manager

BEng(Hons) Building Services EngineeringIEng ACIBSE

Construction Site Manager

BSc(Hons) Construction ManagementMCIOB

Civil Engineering Site Manager

BEng(Hons) Civil EngineeringIEng MICE

Construction Quantity Surveyor

BSc(Hons) Quantity SurveyingMRICS

BCUProfessional Apprenticeships (separate Standards) – Level 6. 3 years (approx.)

Entry criteria: Level 4 Apprenticeship or APEL with equivalent experience and qualifications

Design Co-ordinator HNC ConstructionTCIAT

Building Services Site Technician

HNC BSEEngTech LCIBSE

Construction Site Supervisor

HNC ConstructionACIOB

Construction Site Engineer

HNC ConstructionEngTech TMICE

Quantity Surveying Technician

HNC ConstructionAssocRICS

BCUConstruction Technician Apprenticeship (single Standard separate pathways)

– Level 4. Studied 2 years part-time

Partner CollegesYear 1 will be common across all pathways and will be based around

Level 3 Diploma in Construction and the Built Environment

Funding

• Single Point of Contact for 12 of the region’s HE providers • (7 universities / 5 colleges)

• Activities known to improve aspiration, attainment and progression• Aligns with Pupil Premium and CEIAG Duties

QuestionsQuestionsThank youThank you

www.aimhigherwm.ac.ukwww.aimhigherwm.ac.uk @aimhigherwm@aimhigherwm