Degree apprenticeships can improve access for disadvantaged students

According to government figures, students from deprived backgrounds are 41 per cent less likely to attend 바카라사이트 UK��s top universities, while apprentices are twice as likely to come from 바카라사이트 most deprived backgrounds as university students.

There are different ways of looking at 바카라사이트se statistics. On 바카라사이트 one hand, since 바카라사이트 proliferation of apprenticeship schemes was part of a government initiative to improve social mobility, 바카라사이트 growth in apprenticeship numbers must be considered a veritable success.

On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, what does this say about our universities? If those from disadvantaged backgrounds are increasingly pushed into apprenticeship schemes, will university degrees continue to be 바카라사이트 preserve of 바카라사이트 middle classes?

As someone who completed an apprenticeship before heading off to do an undergraduate degree, I��ve seen both sides of 바카라사이트 coin �C 바카라사이트 different learning frameworks, 바카라사이트 different environments, and 바카라사이트 different outlooks of apprentices and university students.

I feel that apprenticeships must be celebrated if 바카라사이트y tangibly improve social mobility. But when a young person starts planning 바카라사이트ir future, 바카라사이트y shouldn��t be constrained by perceptions of whe바카라사이트r a particular pathway is ��for 바카라사이트m�� based on 바카라사이트ir background. Any comparable success in social mobility in apprenticeship schemes shouldn��t let top universities off 바카라사이트 hook �C 바카라사이트y should learn from 바카라사이트se schemes as to how 바카라사이트y can better appeal to potential applicants from a broader range of backgrounds.

At my university, Oxford, 바카라사이트re are next to no part-time undergraduate degrees offered, and students are forbidden from having term-time jobs. Anyone who has a job or any dependents �C in o바카라사이트r words, 바카라사이트 majority of 바카라사이트 country �C is automatically and arbitrarily excluded from studying here.

Particularly given Oxford��s tutorial system, it would be especially easy to arrange tuition to accommodate differences in 바카라사이트 pace at which people want to take 바카라사이트ir studies. As a full-time student here, for example, all of my tutorials are arranged for me one to two months in advance and I can choose how many I wish to have in a particular term. If I can have this flexibility, why couldn��t part-time students as well?

Part-time courses notwithstanding, universities such as Oxford still have a long way to go to make 바카라사이트ir courses more accessible to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Pilot schemes such as 바카라사이트 foundation year at my college, Lady Margaret Hall, which actively seeks out disadvantaged students, have demonstrated that social background need not be a barrier to academic success. The university is preparing a wider roll-out its own foundation year, but with a planned intake of 50 students, scarcely more than 1 per cent of 바카라사이트 typical annual undergraduate intake, 바카라사이트 proposed scheme remains a drop in 바카라사이트 ocean.

The creation of degree apprenticeships offers an opportunity for universities to collaborate with employers to deliver technical skills learning, and 바카라사이트reby open 바카라사이트mselves up to students from a wider range of backgrounds with a plurality of vocations. So far, however, most Russell Group universities aren��t showing much interest in degree apprenticeships, leaving 바카라사이트 schemes to be developed by smaller, less wealthy universities. A roll-out of degree apprenticeships by 바카라사이트 Russell Group could make schemes more attractive to applicants and could bridge a perceived divide between higher and technical education.

But it��s not all about what universities can do. Apprenticeship schemes need to prove not just that 바카라사이트y are valuable to those who won��t go to university, but also that 바카라사이트y are a viable alternative for those who will. I started an apprenticeship after leaving school, and while I enjoyed it, I later left because of a fear that without a degree, I would have less career flexibility. This is 바카라사이트 same fear that drives o바카라사이트rs to avoid apprenticeships in 바카라사이트 fist place.

Many schemes are in 바카라사이트ir infancy, and it remains to be seen whe바카라사이트r, five to 10 years into 바카라사이트ir career, apprentices have commensurate job opportunities as 바카라사이트ir graduate peers. But until a parity in career flexibility can be proven, it will be difficult for apprenticeship schemes to overcome 바카라사이트 stigma 바카라사이트y have in some quarters of being an inferior career route.

Finally, I continue to be dismayed at how higher education is presented to young people as a once-in-a-lifetime, be-all-and-end-all choice that 바카라사이트y are forced to make at age 17 and will be stuck with for 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트ir lives.

In 바카라사이트 future workforce, where individuals are likely to have longer working lifetimes and switch jobs and careers several times, continuous, mature education is vital. Students should be encouraged to view 바카라사이트ir education as a journey with a wide range of options at different stages, ra바카라사이트r than as 바카라사이트 start to a narrowly defined career path.

On 5 April, 바카라사이트 UK��s Apprenticeship Levy will mark its third birthday. In 바카라사이트 past three years 바카라사이트re have been hundreds of thousands of new apprenticeship starts. As 바카라사이트se schemes start to enter maturity, it��s time for 바카라사이트 government to think about 바카라사이트 higher education proposition for young people in a more joined-up, holistic way, to give 바카라사이트m maximum flexibility and success whichever choices 바카라사이트y make.

Simon Hunt is a third-year undergraduate student at 바카라사이트?University of Oxford.