Raising student aspirations:

WVLLN Project

Exploring the potential for using the Co-genT Vocabulary Tool to help vocational adults

move on to higher education level study

Could the Co-genT tool help adults:

• assess how their current experience, skills and achievements match to the required standards of HE level study,

• develop a HE recognised vocabulary with which to describe their current experience, skills and achievements,

• see that their skills could be transferable into higher level study

Used shortlist of initially 39 Level 4 and above words and eventually 23 Level 3 and above words from the core word list.

New list of words - L3 with L4 and above

Word Levels

Access 3 4

Analyse 3 4 5 6 7

Apply 3 4 5 6 7

Argue 4 5 6 7

Autonomy 3 4 5 6 7

Aware / awareness 3 4 5 6 7

Collect 3 4

Communicate 3 4 5 6 7

Create / creative 4 5 6 7

Discuss 3 4

Employ 3 4

Evaluate (see also Self-evaluate) 3 4 5 6 7

Group work 3 4 5 6 7

Interpret 3 4 5 6 7

Know / knowledge 3 4 5 6 7

Manage information 3 4 5 6 7

Meet standards 4

Operate 3 4 5 6 7

Report 3 4 5 6 7

Problem-solving 3 4 5 6 7

Responsibility 3 4 5 6 7

Synthesise 4 5 6 7

Use / utilise 3 4 5 6 7

Process:

Preparatory

Guidance Interview

Feedback

Preparatory

Profile Builder

Preparatory

Preparatory

Level 4:Is able to act with limited

autonomy, under direction or supervision, within defined

guidelines

Level 4:Can communicate effectively in a format appropriate to the discipline and report practical

procedures in a clear and concise manner

I hour Guidance Interview at workplace gathering verbal evidence

Feedback

All personal results

How to use results

Feedback survey

Also conducted interviews with employers (2) and admissions tutors (2) and asked them to complete an online survey.

Results:

All participants found the Lifepilot Profile builder a good way to start the process:

‘It is hard to suggest how this (Profile Builder) could be improved as it would sit comfortably in SWW as a tool to help people identify their abilities’.

The Guidance Interview:All said it helped them think more about/recognise their skills.All said that providing verbal evidence helped them see how their current skills match to those required in HE.

‘It would be hard to suggest changes to this structure as it works in its present form reaffirming the quiz results’‘I think the interview could’ve been longer.’

All found it useful to receive written results.

Results:

Being part of the Co-genT project has:

02468

10121416

Helped meunderstand Ialready do

things whichwill be valued

in HE levelstudy.

Helped mesee my

current skillswill be usefulin HE level

study.

Helped mefeel moreconfidentabout my

ability to workat a higherlevel in my

current job oran alternative

Helped meconsiderdoing HE

level study.

Helped mesee I have

priorexperiencewhich could

help me gainentry to HElevel study.

Given meuseful

informationabout myselfI can use inapplicationsor appraisal.

Made mewant to usethe Co-genTtool furtheron my own.

Made mewant to usethe Co-genT

tool further aspart of aguidanceinterview.

Agree strongly

Agree

Disagree

Disagree strongly

Some participants also offered feedback through emails and Facebook,

‘Brilliant idea, superb web-site. Many of us don't realise the potential that is locked up inside of us and all the skills & knowledge we have built up over the years. Lifepilot and the Co-gent project will certainly bring these out and you can find out so much about yourself.’

‘It has made me realize how far my knowledge and life experiences have grown since leaving school.I will be looking at starting a course at sometime around the antiques or valuing side.Thank you for showing me that I can do this.’

‘For me personally it was a revelation. I never went into further education, and have always wondered what might have been. Although I believe I am of reasonable intelligence, I have always lacked self confidence and therefore I have not pushed myself as much as I could have.’

Key points from Employers

Overlap between Co-genT words and JNC structure which determines pay/job roles.

Could see how the Co-genT process could work alongside internal staff development structures.

Could be used by employees to prepare for appraisal..

Employees who had been through the Co-genT process could have evidence to show their readiness for Level 4 training opportunities.

Help with job applications and personal statements..

Key points from admissions tutors, Co-genT could:

Be of benefit to adults not already involved in the admissions process, as a way to build confidence in their ability to progress to HE level study.

Help adults to create high-quality personal statements using the vocabulary of HE to describe their experience.

Be useful to professional bodies to help get employees onto the right level of CPD course.

Be beneficial to ‘recreational learners’ who want to learn for personal enjoyment/interest. The Co-genT tool could help give an adult the confidence to progress onto a short course

More young people are choosing work rather than HE, as they hear about graduate recruitment issues. Co-genT might help these people to recognise their experience as being sufficient to progress into HE, at a later stage in their careers.

Conclusions:

The adapted Co-genT tool and process help vocational adults assess how their current experience, skills and achievements match to the required standards of higher level study.

The Lifepilot Profile Builder provides a good starting point for the skills-match process.

The Guidance Interview is a valuable part of the skills-match process.

Employed adults are often likely have a range of skills and experiences that map to Level 3, 4, and sometimes Level 5 words/descriptors.

Conclusions 2:

Raising awareness of adult’s skills has a profound and positive affect on their self-confidence and self-belief.

The adapted Co-genT Tool can help adults build their confidence and skills awareness and helps them consider higher level study.

Adults are unlikely to consider higher education level study if they do not know they have Level 3 or 4 skills and believe there is an insurmountable gap between their skills and those required in higher level study.

Key point:

Follow up with participants

It is several months since I completed the Co-genT process, and I have:

If you have not started a higher education course since completing the Co-genT process what have been the main barriers?

Future plans:

Proposal 2011- 2012:

• The adapted version of the Co-genT Vocabulary Tool should be further developed, as an online process linked to the Lifepilot website.

• The adapted and developed online tools should be piloted with employed adults in the workplace.

• Those involved in guidance within the workplace, such as Unionlearn Representatives, should be engaged and trained in the Guidance Interview process so that they can support other employees in using the online tools.

• Opportunities should be sought to link with other adult-focused, skills recognition projects across the WVLLN area e.g. UWE

Raising student aspirations:

Questions and Discussion