higher education is not for me! practical strategies used in the south west to challenge adults...
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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
Recommends resources, offers other tools:
• 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: [email protected]: 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?