Transcript Higher Education Research

Higher Education Research
Year 13 Parents’ Information
Evening
14th October 2013
Work Experience
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27th-29th January 2014
Induction day & 2 life skills classes
Supervisor for each form class
15th Oct deadline
Charter – Mrs McClintock
Vital for vocational degree courses
May need >3 days – holidays
Open days eg Charter; PwC
Options After A level
• Higher Education – incl. HNDs and Foundation Degrees
( fees)*
• Employment
• Armed Forces
• Modern Apprenticeship
• Level 4 Apprenticeships
• ICT apprenticeship programme
• School leaver programmes eg. Big 4 accountancy firms,
M&S, Santander, Tesco, Asda
• Gap Year
• *majority of BHS pupils
Key Messages
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Take responsibility.
Start now.
Research, research, research!
What do universities and employers want?
Take opportunities.
Good grades in all 4 AS levels.
The present situation
Difficult Economic Situation
For School Leavers
Increased competition for University places
Fewer recruiters of 16 – 18 age group
Government cap on university places (fines)
For Graduates
After some very lean years, increased recruitment
in past 2 years, but competition from previous
years’ graduates.
Student Number Controls
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Separate quotas for:
Home & EU students
Rest of GB students
International students
• ABB+ won’t count towards quotas in
English universities
Higher Education worthwhile?
• Higher earnings: up to £200 000.
• Better job opportunities
• Not all get ‘graduate’ jobs
• More well qualified people
• Upward shift in qualifications
• Degree is a necessity not a luxury
• Other qualities increasingly important
Higher Education worthwhile?
Financial Implications
Tuition Fees – up to £9000 for NI students in GB
£3,575 for NI students studying in NI.
Maintenance and other costs
Interest rates: max 3% above RPI
Investigate sponsorships, grants, etc
Is it worthwhile?
For most people here, probably ‘yes’, but don’t
reject the employment-based route to some
professions through large companies and parttime study eg UU and OU.
New financial arrangements
• Loans to study elsewhere in UK
• ROI – registration fee of 2500 euro.
• Repayments at rate of 9% of earnings above
£16,365.
• Debts written off after 25 years.
• Pay when earning £16,365
• http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/stude
nt-loans-tuition-fees-change
• www.studentfinanceni.co.uk
Universities Outside B. Isles
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Netherlands
www.studielink.nl
Tuition fees : £1535/year
£588 ave. living costs/year
USA
High tuition fees
Scholarships – academic, sport, Fulbright
www.fulbright.org.uk
Why Higher Education?
Purpose of Higher Education
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Gain academic qualification
Develop skills in process
Gain relevant work experience
Become involved in extra-curricular
activities. (‘Degree Plus’; HEAR).
• Develop personal qualities.
Why Higher Education?
Employers want:
• Good intellectual ability
• Problem solving and analytical skills
• IT skills
• Good communication skills
• Good interpersonal skills
• Ability to work with others – teamwork
• Flexibility / adaptability
• Understanding of strengths and weaknesses
What do graduates do?
After Graduation:
• Employment
• Postgraduate Study
• Graduate Training
Programmes
• www.prospects.ac.uk
• www.hesa.ac.uk
Graduate Employment
• Many enter professions relevant to their
degrees BUT many do not - eg:
Humanities and Social Sciences.
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Many proceed to further study/training
Others enter jobs unrelated to degree subject
eg: Administration, Management, Marketing, Sales
Graduate Employment – 2 sectors
1. Vocational
2. General
Over 40% of graduate jobs are open to graduates of any
discipline.
Three Decisions
• What to study?
• Where to study?
• How much will it cost?
• Need to research and visit.
Which University?
• Location
(Ease Of Access)
• Academic Reputation
• Type
• Type of Course
• Assessment
(Quality of Teaching and Research)
(City, Campus, Technological)
(Vocational/Non-Vocational/Sandwich)
(Formal Exams, Continuous
Assessment, etc)
• Size
• Accommodation
• Facilities
• www.unistats.ac.uk - Key Information Sets
The Russell Group
• 24 major research-intensive universities
• Account for 65% of UK universities
research grant.
• Seen as elite – visited by blue chip
companies seeking to recruit.
• QUB proud to be a recent member.
Which course?
• Two decisions…
• 1. What type of qualification?
• 2. What subject?
Which qualification?
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2-year courses: HND; Foundation Degree.
Ordinary Degree, eg. BA
Honours Degree: single/with/joint?
Masters Degree, eg. MEng.
Sandwich degree.
What subject?
• Academic, similar to school subjects?
• Vocational, preparation for a career?
• 40%+ of graduate jobs – degree subject is
irrelevant.
• www.prospects.ac.uk
• Same subject may be different at different
universities – research details
• League tables
Entry Requirements (UCAS)
• A and AS level performance is
expressed in 2 ways…
• Grades: 3 or 3.5 A levels
• UCAS tariff points: A* : 140pts; A:120pts;
B:100pts; C:80pts; D:60pts; E:40pts.
• AS grades are worth half of these totals.
Value in keeping 4th AS subject.
• University of Ulster uses a combination
• Grades increasingly popular
Entry Profiles (1)
• Entrance grades/points are set by market
forces: the ratio between the number of
applicants and the number of places
available.
• High demand courses will need AAA-BBB
to get in.
• Grades here are inflated by the ‘N.I.
factor’: majority of students stay here to
study.
Entry Profiles (2)
• QUB: average tariff points: 348 (A* 140
pts; A:120pts; B:100 pts).
• UU : grade range; gathered field.
• Non-academic requirements, eg. work
experience, voluntary work, extracurricular activities, evidence of
transferable skills.
• www.ucas.com some courses display
entry profiles.
High Demand Courses
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Vary among universities
Find out no. of applicants per place.
Differentiation by:
A and AS level grades; unit grades.
GCSE grades
Personal statement
School reference
Admissions tests
Interview
Non academic selection criteria (entry profiles)
High Demand Courses
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Subjects vary among universities, but can include:
Medicine/Dentistry/Vet. Science
Allied Health Professions
Nursing
Law
Teaching
English/History/Economics/International Relations
Business Management/Accounting/Actuarial Science
Sports Science/Studies
Pharmacy;
STEM subjects.
Recent Admissions Statistics,
Edinburgh University
College
Applicat Offers
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29,813 6,748
Hum &
Soc Sci
Med &
4,459
Vet
Sci & Eng 12,817
University 47,089
Accepts
2,204
Offer
Chances
22.6%
901
458
20.2%
5,188
1,140
40.5%
12,837
3,802
27.3%
Admissions Tests
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LNAT : some law schools.
BMAT : some medical and vet schools.
UKCAT: most medical & dental schools.
HPAT Ulster : UU professions allied to
medicine.
• HPAT Ireland: some ROI medical schools.
• And others.
ROI (www.cao.ie)
Grade
A2 points
AS points
A*
150
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A
135
65
B
120
60
C
100
50
D
75
35
E
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20
Sources of Information and
Guidance – useful websites
• www.ucas.com – parents zone.
• www.ballyclarehigh.co.uk.
• www.tqi.ac.uk – to compare university ratings across a
number of indicators.
• www.push.co.uk
• www.prospects.ac.uk – graduate careers
• www.careers-portal.co.uk
• www.hesa.ac.uk
• www.unistats.co.uk - key information statistics
• www.yougofurther.co.uk - student-only community
website supported by UCAS. Tailored info; online chat.
• Like Ballyclarehighcareers on Facebook
Sources of Guidance and
Information - books
• Degree Course Offers (Brian Heap)
• The Times Good University Guide - also
at www.timesonline.co.uk
• The Guardian University Guide : see
www.education.guardian.co.uk
• The Virgin Alternative Guide to British
Universities.
• University Interviews Guide.
• UCAS parents guide.
Events
• PWC Insight Days: www.pwc.co.uk/careers
• 17th Oct : Humanities & Social Sciences (QUB)
• 22nd Oct : UU Faculty of Art, Design & the Built
Environment Info Evening, 6-9pm.
• 15th Oct : UU Nursing event ( Magee)
• 23rd Oct :Allied Health Professions at UU
• 4th Nov: QUB Engineering Parents Info Evening
• See handout
An exciting journey
Career Pathways
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Which Degree?
QUB survey of employers:
41% : no subject preference
41% : STEM
14% : Business
Growth Areas in NI
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Advanced materials & Engineering*
Finance & Business Services ( IT etc)
Life & Health Sciences
Creative Industries
Agri-Food
*aerospace, electrical, electronics,
automotive, renewables.
STEM
• Need for more STEM graduates in short &
medium term.
• 40,000 shortfall in UK/year
• Aim of NISP
• 2030 : NI : one of world’s foremost
knowledge & entrepreneurial economies in
world.
• Needs x2 STEM graduates.
The ‘new world normal’… economic power
shifting East and South
Declining share of world GDP
amongst the G7 group of
countries (e.g. UK, US,
France, Germany, etc)
1990
= 69.4%
2010
= 21.6%
2000
= 63.0%
2000
= 13.5%
2010
= 51.9%
1990
= 7.0%
Has implications for language skills,
sectoral employment growth,
distribution of wealth, knowledge of
foreign markets, etc
Economic balances
shifting towards BRIC
economies (i.e. Brazil,
Russia, India and China)
High unemployment rates here
to stay • Unemployment
ROI, NI & UK: Unemployment rate
will not return
to prerecession lows
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Forecast
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2
ROI
NI
UK
0
1990
1994
1998
Source: Oxford Economics
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2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
– Subdued
employment
growth
– Welfare reforms
(push some
from inactive
into
unemployment)
– Public sector
cuts
– Growing
population
Areas likely to encourage growth
Northern Ireland: Total visitor spend
£mn
600
550
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Tourism
Care for elderly
Enviro-tech
Management / leadership
Advanced engineering
Food science
And yes – core support; skills
Business Services
Forecast
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
Source: NITB/Oxford Economics
Northern Ireland - Population aged 65+
000s
340
Forecast
320
300
280
260
240
220
200
1990
1994
Source: NISRA
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1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
Too few STEM graduates, too many
‘generalists’
UK regions: Business and Administration degrees in
employment (2007)
% total degrees
UK regions: STEM degrees (narrow definition) in employment
% total degrees
in employment
(3-year ma
2006-2008)
in employment
(3-year ma)
16%
28%
14%
26%
12%
24%
10%
22%
8%
20%
6%
18%
NI
SC
EM
SO
EN
SW
UK
NW WM WW
NE
YH
GL
GL
WM
SC
NI
Source: LFS, Oxford Economics
Source: LFS, Oxf ord Economics
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NE
SO
UK
WW
YH
EN
SW
EM
NW
What will the ‘new normal’ feel like for new entrants into
the Northern Ireland labour market?.…
• Fewer jobs – more competition
• Wages bid down – it may take longer save for deposits for homes
• More have to leave for GB or further afield (already seeing this in some
sectors) – how many of our young people could work in the BRICs?
• Fewer opportunities in traditional sectors – civil service, education, health –
too many doctors, nurses, teachers – will this come as a shock? It should not
• Risk of under-employment
• Frustration if students feel they have not been given good career advice or
have been ‘failed’ by education system
• Still high employer demand for areas NI good at – ICT, medical research,
finance – and decent wage returns in these sectors – but interest in ICT has
fallen sharply
• And demand across the skills spectrum
• Risk of skill supply shortages in niche areas NI could be good at –
environmental technologies, computer gaming – lost investments
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Not what it was like for the ‘baby boom’
generation
• Very different from the ‘baby boom’ generation of the past
– Baby boomers collectively own close to £500bn of the UK's
assets, which is four-fifths of the entire nation's wealth.
– On average, young people owe £9,016 in personal debts
excluding mortgages or their share of the national debt, which is
currently £2.2 trillion.
– As young adults, baby boomers had a fantastic start in life, with
free education, paid apprenticeships, good pension provision and
work contracts that lasted an average of 10.4 years.
– Today's youngsters become adults with an average of £20,000 in
student debt and struggle to find jobs that last an average of 15
months.
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Key Messages
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Be the best at whatever you do!
Core, transferable skills are key
Beware, boom, busts and ‘trends’
International business will be key
– Languages, markets, selling, interaction skills
• Specialism vs generalist
• Do not stigmatise courses (computer games,
agri-food, and elderly care are examples)
Conclusion
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This time next year : applying for university
What do employers and universities want:
Subjects?
Grades?
Skills & qualities?
LMI – where will the opportunities be?
International research shows that students
with career goals perform better.