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Chapter 5: Who Goes to College?
In each year since 1998 about 7% of the Scottish population enrolled in a college. Nearly 35% of young people aged 17 are college students. The total percentage of the population who will have attended college at some point in their life is therefore considerable. As More Choices, More Chances: A Strategy to Reduce the Proportion of Young People not in Education, Employment or Training ( NEET) in Scotland, published by the Scottish Executive in June 2006, reports, research indicates that young people who are NEET for a prolonged period are most likely to encounter persistent problems of worklessness and social exclusion in later life.
Figure 5 below shows the age and gender profile of college students in 2004-05. The average age of a student was 32 (29 for male students and 33 for female students).
More women than men enrol in college - over 57% of college students are women. There has been a continual rise in the proportion of women students since 1998. Women tend to enrol on shorter courses than men.
About 38% of college enrolments were related directly to employment (by employers either paying for the course in whole or part, block or day release or assessment of work-based learning).
Unemployed and economically inactive part-time students represent 5% and 12% of all college enrolments.
One of the key roles of colleges is to provide a bridge for school leavers to either further learning, training or employment. As figure 6 overleaf shows, participation in both part-time and full-time courses peaks for learners in their mid to late teens.
Colleges serve, at almost every qualification level, the needs of a diverse range of students across a whole range of ages (see figure 11 on page 50 for the range of qualifications available through colleges).
Students from the most deprived areas in Scotland where 20% of the population reside are disproportionately more likely to attend college. As figure 7 shows 27% of college activity is devoted to these students. The pattern of high participation for the most deprived has background, compared to 2.1% of the Scottish become more pronounced in recent years.
Figure 5: Number of students (headcount) in colleges by age and gender, 2004-05 (Source: FES)
Figure 6: Students by age and mode of study, 2004-05 (Source: FES)
Students from minority ethnic backgrounds attend college in proportions far above their level in the population as whole - in 2004-05 4.6% of college students were from such a population in the 2001 census.
In 2004-05, more than 4,300 students from 116 countries studied at Scotland's colleges. More than 2,700 of these were from outside the European Union.
Figure 7: Student activity from the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland 1998-99 to 2003-04 in per cent (Source: FES)
"Links which colleges have established with schools provide pupils with learning experiences which are not available in school contexts."
Improving Scottish Education, HMIE 2006.
At least 13% of college students have a disclosed or identified disability. This figure includes those with a disclosed disability as well as those on special programmes or requiring extended learning support. This equates to about one fifth of all college activity (which takes into account length and intensity of the learning delivered). This compares with around 19% of the working age population who are estimated as having a disability 14. Disabled people of working age with no qualifications are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people with no qualifications 15.
Figure 8 outlines the nature of the disclosed disabilities in Scotland's colleges in 2004-05.
A significant development in enabling colleges to meet the wide and diverse range of learners has been the capacity building through Beattie 16 in all but one of Scotland's colleges. As a result of this, the college sector is the only sector in Scotland with the staff, skills and resources, e.g. through assistive technologies to provide initial assessment.
Figure 8: Learners with disclosed disabilities at colleges, 2004-05 (Source: FES) - legend reads clockwise
Case Study: International Students
The Executive's Fresh Talent Initiative, announced in February 2003, sets out to counter the effects of population decline through greater retention of people and in-migration. In order to attract Fresh Talent to Scotland, James Watt College positively promotes the supportive environment offered by further education to potential international students and their parents. The College's recruitment activities focus on the Middle East and South East Asia.
Given its nature as a further education college, the College often attracts young international students (under 18) to foundation and vocational programmes. The College works in partnership with Inverclyde District Council to provide social and curricular activities for young international students and local school pupils to:
- encourage young international students to get to know their peer group in the local community;
- create positive impressions of Scotland as a welcoming country;
- provide opportunities for young people in the area to have a positive cross-cultural experience; and
- foster an acceptance of new and different cultures and promote cultural awareness in the local community.
This is achieved by:
- a programme of shared experiences for students and school pupils focusing on celebrating significant cultural festivals from Scotland and from the student's country;
- providing shared sporting and social opportunities for students and Inverclyde school pupils;
- sharing cultural experiences with the community through dissemination via the media; and
- encouraging 'buddying' between international students and Inverclyde school pupils who are themselves studying at the College through a school/college partnership.
Case Study: School and college partnership
I've always liked working with my hands and quite fancied a career in Construction. Coming on the taster days was fun...I enjoyed all the practical hands-on work…the Introduction to Construction course has helped me choose exactly what trade area I would like to work in. Hopefully I can get an apprenticeship in brickwork.
Nearly 48,000 college enrolments in 200405 (11% of the total) were for school pupils learning through a school/college partnership. This accounted for 4.4% of college activity.
As A Smart, Successful Scotland explains, "from the earliest years in education, skills, knowledge and attitudes need to be developed that equip individuals to achieve their potential in the workplace".
Colleges have a crucial role in helping schools broaden educational opportunities to deliver A Curriculum for Excellence. They work with secondary schools to offer a range of academic and vocational programmes to pupils primarily in S3 and above- a role that is increasing as a result of the Executive's strategy for school and college partnership, Lifelong Partners. In 2005-06 28 colleges participated in the pilot for new Skills for Work courses.
Angus College's primary objectives in offering this provision are:
- to complement the subject choice available;
- to offer vocational tasters to inform career choice; and
- to provide a different environment and experience to enhance employability.
The August 2005 HMIE Review report of Angus College said its approach "broadened academic and vocational curricular choices and enhanced opportunities for progression to vocational awards and qualifications, including Modern Apprenticeships".
The College works in close partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board Construction Skills ( CITB Construction Skills). Together they promote Construction as a career and encourage participation from both primary and secondary school pupils with an initiative called Construction in the Curriculum.
Following the S2 Open Day in 2002-03 and then a CITB Construction Skills Activity Day, " Kenneth" attended the college in S4 one afternoon a week. In 2004-5 he enrolled as a full-time student on the Introduction to Construction course. " Kenneth" hopes to gain employment with a local employer and go on to complete his Modern Apprenticeship.
"I've always liked working with my hands and quite fancied a career in Construction. Coming on the taster days was fun ….I enjoyed all the practical hands-on work….. the Introduction to Construction course has helped me choose exactly what trade area I would like to work in. Hopefully I can get an apprenticeship in brickwork."
Kenneth
Case Study: IT skills for the older population
Coming to college on this class contributes to mental health, otherwise there would be not much else to do…this course stimulates the mind and allows people to meet with each other…introduces other people and they find they work as a team with common interest. This is particularly necessary as people are now living longer.
About 6% of college enrolments are for students who are pensioners. This accounted for 1.4% of college activity. Most of these students are enrolled in part-time Information Technology ( IT) courses.
Around five years ago Cumbernauld College recognised different needs of older adults, including a preference for daytime provision. Courses, such as Beginners IT, which is tailored specifically to the needs of the older participants, were developed for delivery within the college's own centres and in collaboration with the local authorities of North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire in community centres.
Learners on the course felt that it was important for older people to keep up to date with technology, as they felt that otherwise, they would be in many ways disenfranchised within modern living. The use of the Internet as a reference tool and e-mail to keep in touch with friends and families was a major reason for attending the course. Assisting grandchildren with school homework was also cited in several cases.
For some learners in the over 50 groups, who wished to get back into employment, it was felt that IT Skills, were necessary, even for part-time jobs.
" Jack" stated that " coming to college on this class contributes to mental health, otherwise there would be not much else to do…this course stimulates the mind and allows people to meet with each other…introduces other people and they find they work as a team with common interest. This is particularly necessary as people are now living longer". This statement was met with unanimous approval by all in the class.
Jack
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