Nearly half of UCAS applicants want more information on apprenticeships

“Levelling up” careers provision would make the country fairer, new report suggests

Careers advice is driving inequality in education, @SMFthinktank report shows.

Careers advice and guidance risks entrenching inequality by steering people towards different educational and employment options according to their parents’ income and background, new research shows today (1 Apr).

The Social Market Foundation think-tank said that careers support is still “socially patterned” meaning that schools in wealthier areas tend to steer children towards higher education, while schools in less affluent places are more likely to emphasise vocational routes.

That pattern “risks entrenching inequality and social division,” the SMF said.

The SMF said that weaknesses in careers advice and guidance mean that some young people aren’t getting the broadest possible range of information about their future options.

“Levelling up” careers provision would make the country fairer, the think-tank suggested.

The think-tank studied careers provisions for a report, Fulfilling its potential?, which was sponsored by Unite Students. The SMF retained full editorial independence. 

The report drew on extensive SMF focus group work with youngsters and parents that reveals the reality of the careers support on offer in state schools in England. 

That reality often fails to match up to political ambitions for a system that gives people the greatest possible information on which to base choices about their future education and careers, the SMF said. 

Every year 300,000+ UCAS applicants want more information on apprenticeships

To ensure all learners have the best possible information, a full range of apprenticeship opportunities should be listed on the UCAS website alongside university choices, the SMF said.  

UCAS, the University and Colleges Admissions Service, endorsed the SMF’s suggestion of offering applicants a broader range of education and training options when they apply for post-18 places.

In many schools, students are required to create a UCAS account whether or not they intend to apply to university.

46% of those registering with the UCAS service say they would like more information on apprenticeships.

The SMF, a cross-party charity, also called for an overhaul of official websites and data sources offering information about university courses. Government sites are little-used and often out of date, the report found. 

Key points from the report:

• Despite legislation to try and put vocational options on an equal footing, university remains the default option in the eyes of teachers and families alike.
• Careers services are socially patterned – affluent schools promote university over vocational options, and schools with more deprived students do the opposite.
• Schools and colleges should be better incentivised to improve their IAG provision, by making it a bigger part of Ofsted inspections.
• ‘Experiential’ information – information from friends, family, colleagues, current students or apprentices – is viewed as more reliable, up-to-date, and fundamentally more trustworthy than official sources.

The publication comes after the Department for Education published a Schools White Paper proposing changes in the way careers information, advice and guidance is provided in English schools.

Niamh O Regan, Researcher at the SMF, said: 

“Careers education is supposed to help people make informed decisions about their future. It is really important that people receive high quality information so that they can choose the education or training route that suits their skills and their aspirations best. As it stands, the system isn’t always doing that.”

“This isn’t about changing the number of people who chose HE or other routes. It’s about making sure people get the best possible information on which to base choices that will shape their careers for decades to come. And right now, the system isn’t always helping people make the best-informed choices.”

“Socially-patterned careers guidance means that people are steered towards different routes according to wealth, not talent or aptitude. That risks entrenching inequality and social division, instead of making sure that all routes are open to everyone, regardless of their background.”

Comments from participants in SMF focus groups: 

“…That’s what’s missing, where do you go… I don’t think there is much out there, there’s not one place to go to, that’s for certain.” – Young person 

“I wish that my school showed each option equally.” – Young person

“There isn’t enough information available to parents, and even more than that you don’t know  where to source it, and when you find that resource you have to really look at the granular detail… the independent impartial advice is very difficult to identify” – Parent 

UCAS already puts some apprenticeships on its lists, but most are not visible to its applicants. The service said it is keen to offer more of the information the SMF suggested. 

Richard Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Unite Students said:

“At Unite Students we support the levelling up of opportunity as we know that many students are still missing out on fulfilling their potential. We know that university has the power to transform lives but it may not be the right route for everyone so it’s important school-leavers have easy access to information and support which guides them in their decision-making. We believe that all young people should have the best opportunities in life, which is why we hope that the Government duly considers and implements the SMF’s recommendations in this report.”

Clare Marchant, UCAS Chief Executive, said:

“We welcome the recommendations from the Social Market Foundation’s report and are significantly investing in our existing apprenticeship offer to bring true parity to how they, and technical training opportunities, can be presented to side-by-side to students with more traditional undergraduate courses. 

“Our aim is to give students the ability to apply for a basket of choices, some traditional undergraduate courses and some apprenticeships, at the same time. It shouldn’t be an either/or decision.

“With around half of the over 700,000 applicants registering a UCAS account each year saying they’re also interested in an apprenticeship, we are well placed to connect would-be apprentices with employers as part of our trusted, independent role as the UK shared admissions service. Employers will have access to top talent, while hundreds of thousands of would-be apprentices will be able to easily access relevant and timely information to make to make the right decision for them about their next steps.”