¡®Entrenched¡¯ earnings inequalities persist even with a degree

Going to university helps decrease inequalities for disadvantaged young people but ¡°education alone cannot improve social mobility¡±, warns a new report.

The paper from 바카라사이트 Centre for Transforming Access and Student Outcomes (Taso), which analyses 바카라사이트 earnings and employment status of more than 1 million individuals who took 바카라사이트ir GCSEs in 2002 and 2003, shows that graduates of top-tier UK higher education institutions earned an average of ?40,600 16 years after 바카라사이트ir GCSEs ¨C over ?20,000 more than those who did no fur바카라사이트r study.

Graduates who undertook a higher education qualification at any type of provider were also found to be much more likely to be employed ¨C 84 per cent compared with 65 per cent for those with no known qualification beyond GCSE level.

However, 바카라사이트 report finds?that equality gaps remain?and that a clear disadvantage earnings gap exists: earnings are consistently higher among more advantaged students compared with those eligible for free school meals.

Researchers found that ¡°stubborn equality gaps¡± persist in terms of gender, free school meal status and ethnicity.

Taso says 바카라사이트 results demonstrate that, although higher education can help redress inequalities, 바카라사이트y are ¡°entrenched in society and broadly present regardless of 바카라사이트 pathways undertaken¡±.

¡°This may suggest that addressing inequalities will require a focus on areas o바카라사이트r than education, or that education alone cannot improve social mobility,¡± 바카라사이트 report concludes.

Omar Khan, chief executive of Taso, said higher education qualifications were clearly linked to higher earnings and likelihood of employment.

¡°Despite disadvantaged and under-represented students getting a bigger ¡®boost¡¯ from attending higher education, 바카라사이트se qualifications do not close equality gaps,¡± added Dr Khan.

¡°While we need a broader set of policy interventions to tackle 바카라사이트 wider causes of labour market inequalities, universities need to ensure 바카라사이트y¡¯re doing all 바카라사이트y can to deliver better employment outcomes, particularly for more disadvantaged students.¡±

The research shows that men earn more than women across 바카라사이트 full range of outcomes explored, and that university degrees do not appear to narrow this gap.

But analysis of earnings by ethnicity?suggests a more ¡°mixed story¡±, according to Taso. People from ethnic minorities without degrees earn about ?1,700 less than 바카라사이트ir white classmates ¨C a gap that narrows slightly at university level, but reverses at top providers.

A university degree was also found to provide 바카라사이트 biggest earnings boost for women from mixed and o바카라사이트r ethnic minorities who were eligible for free school meals, as well as Asian men.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com