Vocational Learners:issues for progression

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Vocational Learnersissues for progression

• John Harvey
• Action on Access
• j.harvey_at_actiononaccess.org

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Outline

• Vocational learners and WP
• What are the barriers?
• What is happening nationally?
• What are the implications for Aimhigher and
  partners?

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Vocational progression- the challenge

• 90 of people with 2 A levels progress to HE
• Less than 5O with equivalent vocational
  qualifications progress
• What are we doing about this?

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Level 3 is the key to WP

• 25 of all English 16-18s receive no education or
  training, including those in work.
• NEET group up from 9.4 in 1994 to 12.6 in 2004

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Social Class Participation
Source Widening Participation in Higher
Education, Dfes2003
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Barriers to Vocational Progression

• Vocational route poorly understood (DfES)
• VET in low esteem (Ofsted 2004)
• uneven awareness of (Schwartz 2004)
• Limitations of UCAS tariff
• Vocational ladders or crazy paving? (LSDA 2005)
• Lack of HE vocational programmes not only FDs
• Key influencers- parents, teachers
• HEA Barriers study

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National Policy Context

• Qualifications reforms 14-19 19
• NRWS School Improvement Plans
• FE reforms- Agenda for Change
• Skills Agenda- Leitch
• Lifelong Learning Networks
• Foundation Degrees
• Review of HE in FE
• HE see grant letter employers
• HLS pathfinders -SW,NW,NE
• Review of and changes to IAG

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QCF

• England Wales Northern Ireland
• A jointly regulated framework of units and
  qualifications underpinned by a credit system and
  within a responsible and flexible structure.
• In England 2007/8 trialled with 25,000 learners
  by July 08

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14-19 Reforms 2

• Partnerships of FE and schools and others invited
  to apply through the Gateway process what role
  for Aimhigher?
• Is HE prepared and how are the DDPs responding to
  the requirements of HE study?

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SKILLS- LEITCH

• Skills have a major impact on employability and
  social welfare
• 0ne third of adults do not have a basic school
  leaving qualification
• 5M have no qualifications
• One sixth of adults do not have the literacy
  skills of an 11 year old

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HE

• Two strategic priorities in this years grant
  letter
• Growth through employer-led provision
• Widening participation

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Further Education Facts

• Of the 16-18 year olds in full time education and
  training in 2003 41 were in FE colleges ( 29
  in maintained schools) (DfES Jan 2005 )
• 28 of all 16-18 year olds were on FT courses in
  the FE sector compared to 18.4 in maintained
  schools (2004)

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Further Education and WP

• Under represented Groups 16
• Less likely to have HE family experience
• Lower GCSE scores
• Offer supported progression ladders
• Diverse learners and pathways
• Local HE

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FE- changing world?

• Focus on skills for employment
• Role in HE?
• Hefce review
• What about adults?
• The role of the LSC?

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Implications for partners and Aimhigher

• 14-19 partnerships working with Aimhigher?
• School Improvement plans and progression
• Relationship with LLNs-how can AH add value to
  the work on vocational progression?
• How does Aimhigher reflect regional skills needs
  identified by RSPs?
• Is there a role for Aimhigher in HLS pathfinders?
  Can Aimhigher provide the learner/employee focus?
• FdF has identified engagement with Aimhigher as
  one of its strategic objectives for the current
  year. How is working out?
• Specialist schools and CoVES and vocational
  progression- a role for Aimhigher ?

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Implications 2

• How can Aimhigher ensure that what works is
  sustained and embedded beyond 2008. What are the
  approaches to WB and vocational learning and
  progression that could be sustained?

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The Challenge of Choice

• The challenge will be to ensure that the
  greater choices on offer to students do not end
  up replicating the traditional splits between the
  academic and vocational along social class lines
  (Reed and Robinson in Social Justice Building a
  Fairer Britain)
• Vocational education is a great idea for other
  peoples children (Wolf)