educating for professional life

FE to HE Transitions: Understanding Vocational Learner

Experiences in HE

Dr Wayne Clark

Development Project Fund Showcase25th November 2009

educating for professional life

RATIONALE• Explore the educational experiences + early

career/employment trajectories experienced by vocational learners – Students who have entered a Higher Education Institution (University of

Westminster) from ‘non-traditional’ or vocational (i.e. non A-level) Further Education backgrounds

• Enhance understandings amongst educational communities of the vocational learner experience/progression issues

• Generate an online resource - a source of encouragement to potential HE vocational learner applicants + a source of information to HE/FE staff

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AIMS• Develop new understandings of ‘non-traditional’ progression

routes across FE, HE and the graduate labour market

• Capture a ‘snapshot’ of educational experiences, expectations, aspirations + career development amongst vocational learners

• Provide a mapping of educational + career planning experiences of learners across levels 3, 4, 5, & 6 + post-graduation

– Collect testimony at key points across the learning continuum (‘looking forward and looking back’)

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METHODOLOGY 1: INTERVIEWS

- Qualitative data has been collected at 3 key stages:

1. Students currently studying in FE (Access, Next Step – Westminster Kingsway College)

2. HE students (levels 4 to 6) who have entered HE from FE

3. Graduates who have completed their HE course, having made the transition from FE to HE

- Careers/progression guidance practitioners advising students who undertake the FE to HE route

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METHODOLOGY 2: STATISTICAL DATA

1. Retention and progression rates in HE (UoW)

2. Vocational learner employment destinations after graduation (UoW: Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey)

3. National data on vocational learner progression

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OUTCOMES1. Online resource of project findings - this website will be

of interest to both students and practitioners, and will be designed to support FE to HE progression

2. Project report to Linking London Lifelong Learning Network

3. Dissemination of findings across the Linking London Lifelong Learning Network (via presentations, project summaries etc)

4. Academic/practitioner publications

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CONTACT DETAILS

Dr Wayne ClarkSenior Manager - Research & Development CaSE (Careers and Student Employment)University of Westminster Tel: 020 7911 5000 ext 3004Email: W.Clark@westminster.ac.uk