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In 2008, over 500,000 students were enrolled in New Zealand's tertiary education system. In order to improve tertiary education and provide for the needs of students, it is important to understand student attitudes and concerns regarding their tertiary education experiences. In an effort to gain greater knowledge of the tertiary sector from the student perspective, a series of focus group interviews were conducted with tertiary students from around the country. Participants were asked a number of questions regarding their experiences and their decision making processes. The key objectives of this project were: (1) to identify student choice and decision-making processes in tertiary education; (2) to reflect some student attitudes toward their current and past tertiary education experiences; and (3) to identify issues and concerns that may affect progress and successful completion within the tertiary education system.

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This consultation contains proposals to reshape the higher education landscape to have students at its heart. Its core aims are to raise teaching standards, provide greater focus on graduate employability, widen participation in higher education, and open up the sector to new high-quality entrants. This document sets out proposals for how the Government's manifesto commitment to introduce a Teaching Excellence Framework will deliver better value for money for students, employers and taxpayers. It also sets out plans to drive social mobility by further increasing higher education participation by those from disadvantaged and under-represented groups.

This consultation proposes a new single gateway for entry to the sector, which would create a common system for all providers. It sets out proposed new architecture for the higher education system, to reflect the way higher education is now funded by students, and to reduce the regulatory burden on the sector. Finally, this consultation considers the potential implications of these changes for the research landscape.

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This white paper sets out the UK government's plans to reform the higher education and research system. In some cases these plans are subject to Parliament. The paper builds on the proposals consulted on in the earlier green paper, noting that the higher education landscape has changed fundamentally since the last major legislative reforms of 1992. The university system now needs important reform to fulfil its potential and to sustain its global standing.

The paper argues that higher education continues to be a sound financial and personal investment with a wide range of societal benefits. But there is more to be done for the university system to fulfil its potential as an engine of social mobility and a driver of economic growth. Access remains uneven, with young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds 2.4 times less likely to go into higher education than the most advantaged. Courses are inflexible, based on the traditional three-year undergraduate model, with insufficient innovation and provision of two-year degrees and degree apprenticeships. Many students are dissatisfied with the provision they receive, with over 60 per cent of students feeling that all or some elements of their course are worse than expected and a third of these attributing this to concerns with teaching quality. Employers are suffering skills shortages, especially in high skilled [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] STEM areas; at the same time around 20 per cent of employed graduates are in non-professional roles three and a half years after graduating. While the graduate premium has remained substantial, even as student numbers have expanded rapidly in recent decades, recent research suggests there is large variation in graduate outcomes across both providers and subjects, and even for those that studied the same subject within the same provider.

The paper suggests that at the heart of this lies insufficient competition and a lack of informed choice. The measures outlined here will help ensure that everyone with the potential to benefit from higher study can access relevant information to help them make the right choices from a wide range of high quality universities and benefit from excellent teaching that supports their future productivity. By introducing more competition and informed choice into higher education, the government aims to deliver better outcomes and value for students, employers and taxpayers.

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This report is the result of a committee enquiry into the government’s higher education package. The report, from the Employment, Workplace Relations and Education References Committee, outlines the committee’s opposition to the higher education package. The committee feels that the proposed legislation will remove universities’ rights to academic freedom. Chapters in this publication include: Introduction; Shifting the costs of higher education; University governance and management issues; Precipitating industrial conflict; and Student participation in student organisations. Also included in this publication are: Government Senators’ report; Australian Democrats’ supplementary report; and Australian Greens’ report. Show less

The opportunity to study as a mature student is essential for equality of opportunity. It provides essential skills for future prosperity, especially as the UK recovers from the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] pandemic. While numbers of mature students in higher education have declined, particularly for certain types of study, there are positive signs of increasing demand. The government proposes to nurture this growth through its Lifelong Learning Entitlement, and the Office for Students (OfS) is working for change through improved information, advice and guidance, regulation in the form of access and participation plans, and funding initiatives to encourage greater flexibility and choice.

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The Year 12 Student Choices survey was designed to obtain up-to-date information on the relative importance of factors influencing Year 12 students' decision making - both those who intend to go to university and those who do not. The report is based on survey data collected from 3,212 Year 12 students from across Australia. Some of the key findings include: the majority of Year 12 respondents expressed a preference for studying at university, either immediately upon completing their secondary studies (53 per cent) or following a gap year (19 per cent); the level of students' interest in university study varies among different disadvantaged groups - students from non-metropolitan regions and from low socioeconomic status backgrounds show lower levels of interest in university but greater levels of interest in TAFE or New Apprenticeships; while the focus of the study is on university, there are important findings on the reasons for choosing vocational education and training (VET), work or other pathways - students not intending to go to university were likely to perceive enrolling in vocational education or training or engaging in work as better options for their future careers; and this study confirms the findings of earlier research (e.g. James, Baldwin and McInnis, 1999), that, for those planning to go to university, choice of course rather than institution appears to play a more important role in forming student preferences.

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Part-time and mature students are central to skills provision, to the UK's skills strategy, and for the reskilling and upskilling of the existing workforce. Despite this and the many other benefits to part-time education and mature entry, the number of part-time English domiciled undergraduate entrants to UK universities and further education (FE) colleges in England has declined every year since 2007/08. The falls were particularly dramatic following the 2012/13 reforms of student funding which increased tuition fees and introduced income contingent loans to cover part-time students' fees for the first time. This report analyses part-time or mature study over the last five years including: how many people considered or started study; people's background and characteristics; barriers to take up; and factors that facilitated take up. The methodology included: a general population survey to identify prospective learners; a survey of prospective learners to learn more about their experiences; and qualitative interviews.

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Commissioned by the Employment Department, this report is the fourth and final output from the national evaluation of the Skill Choice pilots. Skill Choice was launched in 1993 throughout England, with additional pilots later added in Wales and Scotland. Targeted primarily at the employed, it was concerned with accessing the full potential of the workforce by enabling individuals to recognise existing skills, acquire qualifications and plan their future development. Chapters of the report consider: a review of independent Skill Choice users; the impact of Skill Choice on individuals; the impact of Skill Choice on participating employers; the impact on service providers; an economic analysis of the program; and a series of conclusions. These findings indicate that: Skill Choice has impacted positively on the readiness of individuals to take responsibility for their own training and development; it has promoted better informed choices about training; employers now have better knowledge of employees' skills and training needs; Skill Choice has had no significant impact on the development of effective local assessment, information and guidance centres. Show less

In April 1999 KPMG Consulting, in association with NCVER and Darcy McGaurr and Associates were commissioned to undertake the Phase 2 evaluation of User Choice. This report comprises the last element of the Phase 2 User Choice evaluation strategy and [the authors'] conclusions about the progress of achieving the objectives of the User Choice policy to date.

Volumes one and two provide an analysis of the results of the five different elements of the Phase 2: volume 1 [includes the]: (1) employer survey; (2) provider survey; and (3) State Training Authority survey; volume 2 [includes the]: (4) apprentice and trainee focus groups; and (5) provider case studies. An integrating summary of the key points of the different evaluation elements are found in the overview report [volume 3].

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This publication reports on a study commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to determine the type of information that would most effectively support learners, employers and advice and guidance intermediaries in making choices about post-16 provision. This included all government funded post-16 education and training, but not higher education provision. York Consulting LLP was commissioned by the Skills Funding Agency, with funding provided by BIS, to undertake the research. Key aims were to: (1) determine the type, level (subject or course) and format of information about post-16 provision that is most useful for learners, employers and advisor intermediaries; (2) explore the extent to which different groups of learners may need different information; (3) determine which method of publication, or combination of methods would be most suitable for learners and employers; (4) define the range of information that is currently collected by [further education] FE institutions in addition to published prospectuses, and the range of new information that could feasibly be provided; (5) assess the extent to which additional and new information to learners, employers and advisor intermediaries would be used to inform choice; and (6) explore which information would be useful at the provider and the national level.

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