United Kingdom
Note: Sub-regional data of England were plotted when available.
Sources: OECD (2020[1]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en; OECD (2020[2]), "Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA", OECD Policy Responses to Coronavirus (COVID-19), OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en; OECD (2019[3]), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en; OECD (2019[4]), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en; OECD (2019[5]), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en.
Selected education policies for the United Kingdom
Measures to promote transitions to higher education and the labour market (2019, 2021)
►. Level of resilience: System
In recent years, the United Kingdom (UK) has taken several measures to improve the quality of careers information available to prospective and current higher education students. The Discover Uni platform (2019) supports prospective students across the UK in deciding whether, where, and what to study. It builds on data from the Unistats platform (2012), which incorporated data from existing surveys on student satisfaction and the labour market outcomes of recent graduates. Unistats also integrated course-level information, including aspects such as the time spent in teaching and learning activities, assessment methods, and accommodation costs. Evaluations from 2013 and 2015 found that while the site was widely used, there was scope for improved brand recognition and market penetration, particularly among those outside of the school or college environment (DELNI, HEFCE, HEFCW, and SFC, 2015[6]). More recent research from the UK’s Office for Students suggests that learners who do not have friends or family who have been to university, or who do not have access to specialist career advice, experienced particular challenges in accessing relevant information (Maskell, 2019[7]). As well as including information on student satisfaction and labour market outcomes, the new Discover Uni platform provides advice and guidance for prospective students throughout the decision-making process. This includes information on student finance and study options such as distance learning and apprenticeships. This information will be important in the context of a global recession, where learners are likely to be more sensitive to the cost and labour market prospects of different study options (Discover Uni, n.d.[8]).
In 2021, the Department for Education, in collaboration with the Quality Assurance Agency, professional bodies and the Office for Students, developed the Graduate Employment and Skills Guide. It supports current tertiary students and recent graduates to transition to the labour market through offering guidance on identifying and developing skills, gaining experience, applying for jobs and maintaining well-being. This includes advice on securing public, private and voluntary sector opportunities to help build skills for work, gain work experience, or enter the labour market. It provides links to further study options and resources on graduate mental health and well-being (Department for Education and Office for Students, 2021[9]).
Further reading: DELNI, HEFCE, HEFCW, and SFC (2015[6]), UK review of information about higher education: Report on the review of the Key Information Set and Unistats, https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/24489/1/HEFCE2015_27.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021).
Personal Learning Accounts (Wales, 2020)
►. Level of resilience: System
In 2019, Wales piloted the Personal Learning Accounts programme in two further education colleges; this was then rolled out across the country in 2020 as part of the COVID-19 recovery plan. The programme gives workers earning below the medium income, along with furloughed or at-risk workers, the opportunity to retrain in high-demand fields. The courses are flexible, with part-time and distance-learning options, and are designed to fit around learners’ existing responsibilities. During the first year of implementation, the programme offer was driven by the demands of the local economy. Before enrolling, applicants take part in a digital interview with an experienced careers advisor to discuss their career aspirations. This helps direct them towards reskilling opportunities that fit their aspirations and lifestyles and are likely to lead to employment. The initiative is funded by Wales’ skills and jobs fund, a GBP 40 million package aimed at helping workers and the economy recover from the COVID-19 pandemic (Government of Wales, 2020[10]).
Further reading: Working Wales (2020[11]), Rewrite your career with a Personal Learning Account, https://workingwales.gov.wales/personal-learning-account (accessed on 1 April 2021).
References
DELNI, HEFCE, HEFCW, and SFC (2015), UK review of information about higher education: Report on the review of the Key Information Set and Unistats, https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/24489/1/HEFCE2015_27.pdf (accessed on 1 April 2021). [6]
Department for Education and Office for Students (2021), Graduate employment and skills guide, https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/for-students/student-outcomes-and-employability/graduate-employment-and-skills-guide/ (accessed on 8 October 2021). [9]
Discover Uni (n.d.), Discover Uni, https://discoveruni.gov.uk/ (accessed on 1 April 2021). [8]
Government of Wales (2020), Funding to support employment and training in Wales, https://gov.wales/funding-support-employment-and-training-wales (accessed on 1 April 2021). [10]
Maskell, E. (2019), Discovering Uni: planning your higher education journey, https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/news-blog-and-events/blog/discover-uni/ (accessed on 1 April 2021). [7]
OECD (2020), Learning remotely when schools close: How well are students and schools prepared? Insights from PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/3bfda1f7-en. [2]
OECD (2020), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume II): Teachers and School Leaders as Valued Professionals, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/19cf08df-en. [1]
OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume II): Where All Students Can Succeed, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/b5fd1b8f-en. [4]
OECD (2019), PISA 2018 Results (Volume III): What School Life Means for Students’ Lives, PISA, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/acd78851-en. [5]
OECD (2019), TALIS 2018 Results (Volume I): Teachers and School Leaders as Lifelong Learners, TALIS, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/1d0bc92a-en. [3]
Working Wales (2020), Rewrite your career with a Personal Learning Account, https://workingwales.gov.wales/personal-learning-account (accessed on 1 April 2021). [11]