A UCAS report (2020 entry UCAS undergraduate report \u2013 where next?)<\/a> issued today highlights how the information and advice students receive in school has an important impact of their subject choice, qualifications, and future careers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This is not new news to me. As an engineering education researcher, for the last three years I have been researching, reporting and publishing at EERN UK&IE and Advance HE conferences <\/a>on the impact of accessibility of level 3 STEM education and the consequential impact this has upon the pipeline to engineering and medicine. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n “1 in 5 students unintentionally block themselves from degree choices”<\/p>(UCAS, 2021)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Low social economic students not only receive poor career advice, but also experience regional educational challenges in accessing STEM Level 3 education.\u00a0Schools will only run science A levels if they have a cohort of more than five students, and if they also have the staff and capacity to provide STEM A levels.\u00a0Consequently, this has led to regional disparity of access to science A levels.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here in Kent, the hotspot for accessing Physics A level education is Maidstone, and Chemistry is Canterbury. In South Yorkshire, in the affluent city of Sheffield students can access all STEM A levels, whereas in East South Yorkshire (Rotherham and Doncaster) students have to travel a distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another barrier is that because of a lack of previous provision, the numbers of school and college students who consider Engineering to be a viable option for study at university is traditionally low. This means that there is a real need for purposeful and targeted outreach and marketing of the subject to attract new students. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Our offer of studying a BEng with Foundation Year provides creative and talented students, who may not have the usual entry requirements, with a route to an engineering degree. Helping students to build engineering skills and knowledge while preparing them for their particular engineering degree. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is more than student choice of Level 3 education that is impacting the pipeline for engineering and medicine – the whole education provision setup in low social economic areas needs addressing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\nDr Anne Nortcliffe is the Founding Head of School of Engineering, Technology and Design<\/a>. <\/h5>\n\n\n\n
For more information<\/h2>\n\n\n\n