Transcript 20 minutes: Alternatives to full

Alternatives to full-time study
Evening Study
Garmon ap Garth
Widening Access Manager
Birkbeck University of London
[email protected]
Why would you choose anything other than
studying full-time daytime?
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Benefits of combining work experience with study
Learning on the job, backed up with education
A need to work
Require flexibility due to caring responsibilities
Distance learning – greater flexibility over when you study
The scale of part-time study in the UK
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1/3 of all students in the UK are part-time – offered at all HE
500,000 students study part-time undergraduate degrees each year
Proportion of part-time students who are under 21 is increasing
Different ways of studying flexibly
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Full-time 3 year evening study
4 year part-time evening study
4 years daytime
Distance Learning – Open University specialise in this in
particular
Sandwich courses and placement programmes
Foundation Degrees – can offer more employability focus
Birkbeck’s model:
Full-time or part-time evening study
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Classes take place mostly weekday evenings from 6
until 9
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Most students work in the day - diverse and friendly
peer group
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My Birkbeck – student support services to support
every aspect of studying with us
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Traditional student life – student union, access to all of
ULU’s sports, clubs, societies and social facilities
Full time or part time evening study at Birkbeck
Full-time evening
Work around study
Part-time evening
Study around work
Duration
3 years
4 years
Intensity
2-3 evenings a week
3-4 evenings a week
Time of classes
6-9pm
6-9pm
Application process
UCAS
Direct application to
university
Entry requirements
Same as part-time
Same as full-time
Deadlines
UCAS deadlines
More flexibility
Finance
Student Tuition Fee Loan and
Maintenance Loan available
Student Tuition Fee Loan
available - no Maintenance
Loan available
Work
Recommend students work no
more than 20 hours per week
Ability to work full-time
Helping students to think through their options
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How supportive will my family be?
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How supportive will my employer be?
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How much difference will an additional year of study
make?
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Compare the 1 extra year that it takes with the
additional money and work experience possible with
part-time evening study
Benefits of part-time studies
Individual
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Economic
Improved job prospects
Improved quality of life
Increased well being
Societal
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Social mobility
Increased well being
Economic
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Higher level skills
Increased competitiveness
Adaptability to new industries
Benefits of studying part-time
Benefits are seen during the course right from the beginning –
81% of students use their new skills in their jobs whilst still
studying. The benefits don’t only materialise at graduation.
Even students who didn’t change jobs have greater job
satisfaction and take on more responsibility at work
The skills students use in their jobs include
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Subject knowledge; Ability to apply knowledge; Written
communication; Self discipline; Logical thinking and
Problem solving
Benefits to the individual
Economic:
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38% got a promotion on graduation
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48% had a pay rise on graduation
Increase in effectiveness and responsibilities taken:
Even students who didn’t change jobs tended to enjoy their jobs
more have taken on more responsibility
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Taken on more responsibility at work – 63%
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Greater job satisfaction – 61%
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Ability to do work improved – 80%
Wellbeing and quality of life
The vast majority of students reported improvements in their
wellbeing and quality of life measures:
Did these aspects of your life change as a direct result of your course?
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Developed yourself as a person – 88%
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Enjoy learning more: more aware of benefits – 80%
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Self-confidence improved – 78%
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Overall level of happiness increased – 55%
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Children/family become more interested in learning – 32%
Reference:
Callender, C and Wilkinson, D (2013) Futuretrack: PartTime Higher Education Students Two
Years After Graduating – The Impact of Learning Manchester: HECSU.
Wider economic benefits
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More than 70 per cent of the 2020 working age population
have already left compulsory education and many of these
are in work.
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Levels of employment stability are particularly high for parttime students with 81 per cent working throughout their
study and two years later.
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Part-time higher education study is central to the UK’s skills
and employability agenda.
Conclusions
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Many alternative models to f-t daytime – important to
ensure range of options for diverse student body
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Part-time study has significant benefits to the student,
society and the economy. By the time you graduate you can
have years of work experience as well as your degree
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Benefits are seen immediately on starting a course – you
don’t have to wait until you graduate for you to see the
benefits
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Vital that students are made aware of all the options
available