Presentation Transcript

1. Higher Education Research

   Year 13 Parents’ Information Evening 14th October 2013
2. Work Experience 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
3. 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 4accountancy firms, M&S, Santander, Tesco, Asda Gap Year *majority of BHS pupils
4. Key Messages Take responsibility. Start now. Research, research, research! What do universities and employers want? Take opportunities. Good grades in all 4 AS levels.
5. The present situation Difficult Economic Situation For School LeaversIncreased competition for University placesFewer 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.
6. Student Number Controls Separate quotas for: Home & EU students Rest of GB students International students ABB+ won’t count towards quotas in English universities
7. 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
8. 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 part-time study eg UU and OU.
9. 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/student-loans-tuition-fees-change www.studentfinanceni.co.uk
10. Universities Outside B. Isles 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
11. Why Higher Education? Purpose of Higher Education Gain academic qualification Develop skills in process Gain relevant work experience Become involved in extra-curricular activities. (‘Degree Plus’; HEAR). Develop personal qualities.
12. 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
13. What do graduates do? After Graduation: Employment Postgraduate Study Graduate Training Programmes www.prospects.ac.uk www.hesa.ac.uk
14. Graduate Employment Many enter professions relevant to their degrees BUT many do not - eg: Humanities and Social Sciences. 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.
15. Three Decisions What to study? Where to study? How much will it cost? Need to research and visit.
16. Which University? Location (Ease Of Access) Academic Reputation (Quality of Teaching and Research) Type (City, Campus, Technological) Type of Course (Vocational/Non-Vocational/Sandwich) Assessment (Formal Exams, Continuous Assessment, etc) Size Accommodation Facilities www.unistats.ac.uk - Key Information Sets
17. 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.
18. Which course? Two decisions… 1. What type of qualification? 2. What subject?
19. Which qualification? 2-year courses: HND; Foundation Degree. Ordinary Degree, eg. BA Honours Degree: single/with/joint? Masters Degree, eg. MEng. Sandwich degree.
20. 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
21. 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
22. 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.
23. 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, extra-curricular activities, evidence of transferable skills. www.ucas.com some courses display entry profiles.
24. High Demand Courses 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)
25. High Demand Courses 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.
26. Recent Admissions Statistics, Edinburgh University
27. Admissions Tests 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.
28. ROI (www.cao.ie)
29. 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
30. 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.
31. 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 4thNov: QUB Engineering Parents Info Evening See handout
32. An exciting journey
33. Career Pathways Which Degree? QUB survey of employers: 41% : no subject preference 41% : STEM 14% : Business
34. Growth Areas in NI Advanced materials & Engineering* Finance & Business Services ( IT etc) Life & Health Sciences Creative Industries Agri-Food *aerospace, electrical, electronics, automotive, renewables.
35. 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.
36. 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) Economic balances shifting towards BRIC economies (i.e. Brazil, Russia, India and China) Has implications for language skills, sectoral employment growth, distribution of wealth, knowledge of foreign markets, etc
37. High unemployment rates here to stay Unemployment will not return to pre-recession lows Subdued employment growth Welfare reforms (push some from inactive intounemployment) Public sector cuts Growing population 37
38. Areas likely to encourage growth Tourism Care for elderly Enviro-tech Management / leadership Advanced engineering Food science And yes – core support; skills Business Services 38
39. Too few STEM graduates, too many ‘generalists’ 39
40. 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 40
41. 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. 41
42. Key Messages 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)
43. Conclusion 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.