Vocational progression to higher education

1
Vocational progression to higher education
Matthew Welbourn Professional Development Officer
2
Setting the scene

• UCAS 2006 Scheme
• Total number of applicants 506,304
• Applicants receiving A level results 250,000
• Over 250,000 UK applicants annually apply
  offering non A level threshold qualifications
• HE progression
• 90 of young students with 2 A levels
• Approximately 45-50 of level 3 vocational
  students
• Only 1-2 of Advanced Apprenticeship students
  progress to HE

3
2006 A level subjects by of total A level
entries

• English 10.8 (0.9)
• General Studies 7.3 (-0.7)
• Mathematics 6.9 (5.8)
• Biology 6.8 (1.7)
• Psychology 6.5 (5.2)
• History 5.8 (4.1)
• Art Design 5.2 (3.8)
• Chemistry 5.0 (3.1)
• Geography 4.0 (-0.9)
• Media Film Studies 3.8 (9.6)
• Source JCQ news release, 17 August 2006

4
2006 A level grades ( of overall total)
Grade
Source JCQ news release, 17 August 2006
5
2006 acceptances by degree subject ( change)

• Law 14,952 (-1.8)
• Design Studies 13,901 (-8.8)
• Psychology 13,083 (-4.5)
• Management Studies 11,538 (-2.6)
• Business Studies 10,691 (-1.7)
• Computer Science 9,987 (-7.3)
• English Studies 8,853 (-3.9)
• Pre-clinical Medicine 8,011 (2.4)
• Social Work 7,769 (6.5)
• Sports Science 7,759 (-1.4)
• Source UCAS final figures for 2006 entry, 18
  January 2007

6
2007 applications by degree subject ( change)

• Law 84,860 (4.9)
• Psychology 77,040 (3.9)
• Pre-clinical Medicine 72,469 (-3.8)
• Management Studies 62,199 (11.1)
• English Studies 55,581 (7.6)
• Nursing 53,713 (3.9)
• Teacher Training 49,958 (3.3)
• Business Studies 46,970 (1.4)
• Social Work 46,891 (14.7)
• History 45,083 (1.8)
• Source UCAS applicant digest, 15 January 2007

7
Vocational routes

• Vocational qualifications in context
• Focus on applied learning
• Employer involvement in some qualifications
• Usually delivered in colleges and some schools

8
Issues connected to vocational students

• Some HEI admissions staff unsure about content
  and equivalence
• HEIs rarely have access to data about the
  performance of vocational students, compared to A
  level students
• Disproportional numbers of vocational students
  drawn from ethnic minority and lower
  socio-economic groups
• Clear information to applicants

9
How some HEIs are responding

• A more positive approach to non A level students
  when dealing with telephone enquiries
• A more competency focused way of scoring the UCAS
  form when short-listing
• Entry Profiles used to make it clear that
  vocational qualifications are welcome

10
Vocational routes

• Englands vocational system subject to regular
  change
• Alphabet soup of acronyms
• Which qualifications are you familiar with?
• What are your perceptions of them?

11
Vocational routes

• Access
• Advanced Apprenticeships
• Alternatives to GCSE
• AVCE (Applied A levels)
• Baccalaureate (International and Welsh)
• BTEC / OCR National Diplomas
• Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art Design)
• National Vocational Qualifications
• Key Skills

12
GCSE in vocational subjects

• New Double Award GCSEs
• Equivalent to 2 GCSEs
• Paired grades AA - EE
• High level of take-up
• Provide vocational progression
• VCE / A level in applied subjects
• BTEC / OCR Nationals
• Advanced Apprenticeships

13
GCSE in vocational subjects

• Subject availability
• Applied Art Design
• Applied Business
• Applied Information Communication Technology
• Applied Science
• Engineering
• Health Social Care
• Leisure Tourism
• Manufacturing

14
Reform of AVCE

• Advanced Vocational Certificate of Education
  (AVCE)
• AVCE replaced Advanced GNVQ to provide vocational
  element of Curriculum 2000
• AVCE re-worked along lines of GCE AS/A2 structure
  from 2005
• Retitled as GCE A levels and AS in applied
  subjects
• Will first impact progression to HE in 2007 in
  most cases

15
Reform of AVCE

• Subject availability for GCE A level in applied
  subjects
• Applied Art Design
• Applied Business
• Applied ICT
• Applied Science
• Engineering (no double award)
• Health Social Care
• Leisure Studies
• Media Communication Production
• Performing Arts
• Travel Tourism

16
Vocational progression

• Students with work experience but lacking
  traditional entry qualifications could find
  alternative routes into HE through
• Foundation Year, or Foundation course
• Access to HE course

17
Foundation courses

• Intermediate, work-related HE qualification
• Designed in conjunction with employers to meet
  skills shortages
• Flexible study methods make them available to
  people already in work, unemployed people, or
  those wanting to embark on a career change
• On successful completion may choose to progress
  to further professional qualifications or to an
  honours degree

18
Access to HE programmes

• Designed to prepare mature students for HE entry
  in lieu of A levels etc
• Delivered primarily in FE colleges and adult
  education centres - some in HEIs
• In practice being taken by some younger students
• Recognition Scheme operated by QAA nationally
  since 1997
• All approved Access to HE programmes are listed
  on the UCAS Access Courses database
• www.ucas.com/access/index.html

19
Access to HE programmes

• 28 Authorised Validating Agencies (AVAs) licensed
  by QAA to validate Access programmes in England,
  Wales and Northern Ireland
• Approximately 1200 programmes currently
  registered by the QAA
• 40,000 students in England and Wales

20
Access to HE programmes

• Some provide progression to specific HE course
  area
• Access to Healthcare
• Access to Nursing
• Access to Art Design
• Access to Applied Human Psychology
• Access to Law
• Some provide more general preparation for HE
  level study
• Access to Higher Education
• Access to Humanities Social Sciences

21
Access to HE programmes

• Key features
• Subject modules or units
• Key skills
• Study skills
• Tutorial support
• Currently ungraded - grades not used as Access
  programmes use criteria-referenced assessment
• Successful students receive QAA Access to HE
  certificate with some description of their
  learning achievement

22
Access to HE programmes

• Not currently in UCAS Tariff
• Recent review of Access to HE provision by QAA
  possible national grading system would make
  inclusion in Tariff possible

23
Access to HE programmes

• New title for qualification Access to HE
  Diploma (subject)
• All Access courses unitised and credit-based
  using common definitions
• 2006 entry most students will offer present
  Access to HE Certificate
• 2007 entry mix of Certificates and new Diplomas
• 2008 entry all Access to HE Diplomas and credit
  awarded to new specifications

24
Expanding the UCAS Tariff

• First Stage (2002 2004)
• AVCE
• Three main Key Skills
• CACHE Diploma in Childcare Education

25
Expanding the UCAS Tariff

• Second Stage (2005 onwards)
• BTEC / OCR Nationals
• Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art Design)
• Wider Key Skills
• Welsh Baccalaureate

26
Expanding the UCAS Tariff

• For 2008 entry, the following qualifications will
  come into the Tariff
• Advanced Placement Programme
• British Horse Society
• Diploma in Fashion Retail
• Diploma in Financial Studies
• International Baccalaureate Diploma
• iPRO Certificate and Diploma
• Speech and Drama Examinations

27
Expanding the UCAS Tariff

• New qualifications are regularly being added to
  the Tariff and it is UCAS aim to include as wide
  a range of achievement used for entry to HE as
  possible
• International Baccalaureate (IB) included for
  2008 entry
• Top IB score awarded 768 UCAS Tariff points
• Most common IB score equates to AAAD at A level
• Source IBO news release, 6 July 2006

28
(Specialised) diplomas

• Being developed by Diploma Development
  Partnerships (DDPs) led by Sector Skills
  Councils (SSCs), and involving DfES, QCA, HE,
  practitioners and employers
• First phase of development for 1st teaching 2008
  
• Information technology
• Engineering
• Society, health development
• Creative media
• Construction built environment

29
(Specialised) diplomas
Level 4
Diploma in occupation Level 4
Foundation Degree
Degree
Diploma in occupation Level 4
Degree
Level 3
GCE A levels
New Diploma Level 3
Diploma in occupation Level 3
Certificate in occupation
Advanced Apprenticeship Diploma
Award in occupation
Level 2
Appship Diploma
GCSE A-C
New Diploma Level 2
Diploma in occupation Level 2
Certificate in occupation
Young Appship
Award in occupation
Level 1
New Diploma Level 1
Diploma in occupation Level 1
Certificate in occupation
GCSE D-G other provision
Award in occupation
Traditional route
New Diploma
Occupational route
Apprenticeship route
14-19 Qualifications
Mostly 16
Adult 16 FfA Qualifications
Source Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
30
Questions

• Matthew Welbourn
• Professional Development Officer
• m.welbourn_at_ucas.ac.uk