Higher Education is not for me! Practical strategies used in the South West to challenge adults...

Higher Education is not for me!Practical strategies used in the South West to challenge adults’ perceptions.

Sue Lewis: Western Vocational Progression Consortium

Developing across the South West

Provide adults with one-stop information, advice and guidance to support engagement with learning and progression to HE level study.www.life-pilot.co.uk

Aims to…

Inspiring adults to take the first step to higher

education level study.Using vocational

qualifications, experience, professional development

to gain entry.

Start here quiz:

Matches what you want to what Lifepilot can offer

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• Profile Builder• Route planner

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Over 50? It’s easier to get into full time uni than I thought it would be!

‘I now have offers from universities and hope to take a place at Bristol this year.’

‘It made me look at options I thought were not available to me.’

1,500+ adult users a month

(39,000+ since launch)

New 2012 survey: 29 respondents to date:• 97% found the site useful, inspiring and would recommend to a friend• 85% plan to take action after using• 50% returning users had taken action

Main barriers are: • Funding• Not sure what course to do• Time • Family commitments

50% no close relative been to university

Where this started.

Project 2010-2011:Can this tool be used to help adults into higher level study?

Process:

Preparatory

Guidance Interview

Feedback

Feedback

All personal results

How to use results

Feedback survey‘For me personally it was a revelation. I never went into further education, and have always wondered what might have been. Although I believe I am of reasonable intelligence, I have always lacked self confidence and therefore I have not pushed myself as much as I could have.’

Paul’s Skills

Manages a team of 14, reports problems, manages shift patterns, etc.

Assesses the prices of antiques for his brother’s auction house

Skills matched to Level 3,4 and 5

 Words Evidence

L3/4 best match

Higher levels best match

1

Access - to approach, reach, have available, use

Can access a range of specialist research materials to assess the value of antiques. Has to access relevant information depending on the nature of the antique.

4  

2

Analyse - examine in detail the constitution or structure of

JD: Analyse information about machines, requirements for orders, shifts to ensure job completed. Valuing antique objects analysing data from a range of sources to make accurate judgments.

4  

4Autonomy - ability to act independently

JD: Direct others,within guidelines, as managing shift of 14 people, across two departments. Make decisions about problems and implications. Makes autonomous judgements, based on research about predicted value of items for auction.

  5

‘It has made me realize how far my knowledge and life experiences have grown since leaving school.I will be looking at starting a course at sometime around the antiques or valuing side.Thank you for showing me that I can do this.’

Paul’s Skills

Results:

Being part of the Co-genT project has:

02468

10121416

Helped meunderstand Ialready do

things whichwill be valued

in HE levelstudy.

Helped mesee my

current skillswill be usefulin HE level

study.

Helped mefeel moreconfidentabout my

ability to workat a higherlevel in my

current job oran alternative

Helped meconsiderdoing HE

level study.

Helped mesee I have

priorexperiencewhich could

help me gainentry to HElevel study.

Given meuseful

informationabout myselfI can use inapplicationsor appraisal.

Made mewant to usethe Co-genTtool furtheron my own.

Made mewant to usethe Co-genT

tool further aspart of aguidanceinterview.

Agree strongly

Agree

Disagree

Disagree strongly

Adults are unlikely to consider higher education level study if they do not know they have Level 3 or 4 skills and believe there is an insurmountable gap between their skills and those required in higher level study.

Key point:

Address

Analyse

Autonomy

Collect

Evaluate

Identify

Inform

Initiate

Interpret

Investigate

Judge

Meet standards

Operate

Problem-solving

Responsibility

Review

Supervise

Teamwork

Understand

Use / utilise

• Train other people to carry out the guidance role.

• Make parts of the process electronic.

2011-2012

2011/12 Recruitment

• Unionlearn Representatives using in their guidance role• Combined Universities of Cornwall using to support pre-entry HE guidance (linked to ESF project)• 17 guidance staff trained to date – 5 more engaged• 6 participants completed process so far – plan for 40+

Feedback from the 6 who have completed process:100% agreed helped them:• consider HE level study;• understand the vocabulary of HE; • increase their confidence.

New Nov. 2011

www.careerpilot.org.uk

www.life-pilot.co.uk

www.life-pilot.co.ukSign in using a sample login as follows:Email: guest21@nomail.comPassword: Guest21Go to ‘My Lifepilot’Go to ‘Profile’Retake the Profile to see how the skills map works.Click on the ‘HE Skills Map’ log icon on the Profile results page to see the evidence builder and assessment against levels.

Questions and Discussion

What are the opportunities for extension and wider applications of the approaches used in the SW?

What other strategies are being used across the country to engage adults in progressing to HE?

How can we sell the benefits of HE and lifelong learning to adults in a climate of loans and graduate unemployment?