The benefits of part ‐ time study Linking London IAG Practitoner meeting 7 December 2012 Prof Claire Callender Birkbeck & Institute of Education University of London

Aims of research To collect data and investigate –students’ career intentions and ambitions; –students’ career development/learning and decision- making –the employment and training outcomes for part-time students; –the views of employers of part-time students; and –sources of student financial support. 2

Futuretrack: Part-time WAVE /08 3,704 part-time students drawn from 29 UK HEIs WAVE 1 1,876 1 st year students Surveyed in 2008 WAVE / rd year students Surveyed in 2010 WAVE 1 1,828 final year students Surveyed in 2008 WAVE /11 1,021 graduates - two years on Surveyed in 2010

The part-time student journey: survey data at 4 points in time 1 st year students Wave 1 3 rd year students Wave 2 Final Year students Wave 1 Graduates: 2 years on Wave 2

Part-time UK undergraduates ⅓ of all UK undergraduates study PT = over ½ million students Much more likely to be older and to be female than full-time students and more heterogeneous Entry qualifications more diverse Qualification aims more diverse Concentrated in certain subjects Unequally distributed – concentrated in limited number of HEIs in certain regions 81% employed, of which 78% had full-time jobs

Does part-time HE study help meet the skills and employability agenda?

‘Skill acquisition which does not enhance employability, earnings, labour market progression or which does not bring other economic and social returns, is a waste of public and private resources.’ (UKCES, 2010 p.109).

Skills acquisition, utilisation and development

Did students and graduates use the skills they learnt on their course in their job? 9 Source: Callender et al, 2010; Callender and Wilkinson 2012a; 2012b

What skills did students and graduates learn on their course that they use in their job? Source: Callender and Wilkinson, 2012a; 2012b

Labour market progression and earnings

Did students and graduates change jobs? 12 Source: Callender et al, 2010; Callender and Wilkinson 2012a; 2012b

Did students and graduates get a pay rise or promotion as a direct result of their course? 13 Source: Callender et al, 2010; 2012a; 2012b

Which graduates were most likely to get a pay rise and to improve their prospects? 14 Source: Callender et al, 2012b

Other economic returns to part-time study – changes to students and graduates’ working lives and attitudes to work

Did students and graduates’ working lives change as a direct result of their course? Source: Callender et al, 2010; 2012a; 2012b

Which graduates were most likely to experience changes in their working lives? 17 Source: Callender et al, 2010; callender and Eilkinson2012a; 2012b

Social returns to part-time study – changes to students and graduates’ non-work aspects of their lives

Did students and graduates’ non-working lives change as a direct result of their course? Source: Callender et al, 2010; Callender and Wilkinson 2012a; 2012b

Which graduates were most likely to believe their “course helped me develop as a person” Source: Callender and Wilkinson, 2012b

‘Skill acquisition which does not enhance employability , earnings,  labour market progression  or which does not bring other economic  and social returns,  is a waste of public and private resources.’ (UKCES, 2010 p.109).

References Callender, C., Hopkin, R., and Wilkinson D. (2010) Futuretrack: part-time students career decision-making and career development of part-time higher education students, Manchester: HECSU. 132 pp Callender, C and Wilkinson, D (2012a) Futuretrack: Part- Time Higher Education Students - the benefits of part-time higher education after three years of study, Manchester: HECSU. 93 pp Callender, C and Wilkinson, D (2012b) Futuretrack: Part- Time Higher Education Students Two Years After Graduating – The Impact of Learning Manchester: HECSU. 83 pp