Higher Education Research

1. Higher Education Research Year 13 Parents’ Information Evening 14th Sept.2011

2. Options After A level • Higher Education* • Employment • Armed Forces • Modern Apprenticeship • Gap Year • *majority of BHS pupils

3. 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 this year, but competition from last year’s graduates.

4. 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

5. Higher Education worthwhile? Financial Implications Tuition Fees – up to £9000 for NI students in GB £3,465 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.

6. New financial arrangements • Loans to study elsewhere in UK • ROI no fees – refundable registration fee of 2000 euro. • Repayments £540/year lower than at present. • Approx. £30-£45/month • Debts written off after 30 years. • Pay when earning £21,000 • http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/family/student-loans-tuition-fees-change

7. 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.

8. 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

9. What do graduates do? After Graduation: • Employment • Postgraduate Study • Graduate Training Programmes • www.prospects.ac.uk • www.hesa.ac.uk

10. 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 languages 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.

11. Three Decisions • What to study? • Where to study? • How much will it cost? • Need to research and visit. • Stamford Test • Centigrade online • BHS sixth form portfolio • Open days

12. 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

13. The Russell Group • 20 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.

14. Which course? • Two decisions… • 1. What type of qualification? • 2. What subject?

15. Which qualification? • 2-year courses: HND; Foundation Degree. • Ordinary Degree, eg. BA • Honours Degree: single/with/joint? • Masters Degree, eg. MEng. • Sandwich degree.

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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’:7000 students stay, 3500 go away.

19. Entry Profiles (2) • QUB: average tariff points: 348 (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.

20. 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)

21. 2010-11 Admissions Statistics, Edinburgh University

22. 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.

23. ROI (www.cao.ie)

24. 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 • www.yougofurther.co.uk - student-only community website supported by UCAS. Tailored info; online chat. • Like Ballyclarehighcareers on Facebook

25. 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.

26. Other sources of info • University open days. • UUJ Health Professions Insight Night: 19th Oct. 6.30pm for 7.30pm. • QUB Engineering Information Evening: 1st, 2nd or 3rd Nov. • QUB Humanities Information Evening: 7th Nov. • QUB early open day: Sat morning in June.

27. An exciting journey

28. 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

29. 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 29

30. Areas likely to encourage growth • Tourism • Care for elderly • Enviro-tech • Management / leadership • Advanced engineering • Food science • And yes – core support; skills • Business Services 30

31. Too few STEM graduates, too many ‘generalists’ 31

32. 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 32

33. 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. 33

34. 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)