Progression of
BTEC students
to HE
David MacKay
2 March 2015
UCAS data on entry to HE
•
23.4% of students entered university in 2014-15 with a
BTEC compared with just 13.5% in 2008
•
Only 26 large providers took fewer than 5% of their
intake from BTEC holders in 2014-15 compared with
almost double that number (47) in 2008
•
Disadvantaged young people over 10% more likely to
enter HE than they were a year ago
•
Entry rates for young people from all ethnic groups
increased
•
The proportion of students entering HE with a BTEC is
higher in areas with a low rate of entry
BTEC and social
mobility 2008/09
40% of BTEC students, compared to 20%
of A level students, come from the bottom
4 socio economic groups ( 5 to 8 in table)
• For black students this rises to 45% of
students
•
Socio Economic Status of Learner's Parents
1: Higher managerial & professional occupations
2: Lower managerial & professional occupations
3: Intermediate occupations
4: Small employers & own account workers
5: Lower supervisory & technical occupations
6: Semi-routine occupations
7: Routine occupations
8: Never worked & long-term unemployed
Grand Total
Number of classified students
A Level Only BTEC Only A level/BTEC Total
29%
12%
16%
23%
31%
25%
27%
29%
13%
12%
12%
12%
7%
10%
10%
8%
4%
6%
6%
5%
11%
21%
18%
14%
5%
12%
10%
7%
0%
1%
1%
1%
100%
71,859
100%
28,811
100%
12,612
100%
113,282
Data reference
Data used in the rest of this presentation is HESA
data taken from the report:
Vocational Progression to Selecting Universities
Comparisons and Trends 2010 – 2013
by Alison Rouncefield-Swailes
Western Vocational Progression Consortium
September 2014
Retention and withdrawal – HE
degree programmes (HESA data)
Year
Completion rate
from BTEC
Nationals
2010/2011
57.0%
2011/2012
59.1%
2012/2013
67.9%
Completion rate
from traditional
route
92.3%
Reasons for withdrawal
Reason for
withdrawal
Academic
failure/ not
permitted to
progress
Other
personal
BTEC
students
2010/2011
17.4%
BTEC
students
2012/2013
11.6%
Traditional
route
2012/2013
2.4%
11.3%
8.4%
2.5%
Degree classification of students
completing degree programmes
Degree
BTEC students
classification
Good honours
Unclassified
Traditional
entry
54.4%
71.6%
1.0%
4.5%
Discussion questions
1.
Do BTEC students have the right skills for progression
to HE? What are their strengths and weaknesses?
2.
Does the background of many BTEC students make
them vulnerable to withdrawal?
3.
What can be done to support the transition of BTEC
students to HE to improve their retention?