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]).
English
Click to download PDF - 679.71KB
