The new tools will help level the playing field between
applicants, giving all students access to evidence on
earnings and employment outcomes from different
degrees.
Recent
research published by the Government has shown
that what students study and where really matters to
their future life chances. In many other areas of life,
from utility bills to hospital care, technology has put
better information at our fingertips. These new tools
will help enable a similar revolution in transparency
in Higher Education.
The
competition, which opened on 25 June, will harness
the creativity, talent and ingenuity of coders and
developers to design accessible digital tools, such as
mobile apps, that will make it easier for young people
to find out what they might earn if they choose a
particular subject at a specific university.
This is part of a wider revolution in transparency in
Higher Education data - the government is already
publishing a wide range of data including on likely
earnings and employability and teaching quality at
universities, also known as TEF. now wants to make it
even easier for young people to use information like
this to help choose where to study.
Research
published by DfE concluded that when students
are choosing a university, major influences include the
potential for higher future earnings. Once developed,
the new digital tools will analyse public data so
students and their families can more easily compare and
contrast information including average salary outcomes
by subject and by university at the touch of a button.
The data could also be compared with other data sets,
covering issues such as cost of living and travel.
Universities Minister said:
Going to university is one of the single biggest
investments a person will make in their lifetime. So
it is vital prospective students have all the right
information in an easily accessible format to help
them decide where to study.
Technology and data have radically improved the
experience of customers in a range of sectors, from
energy to healthcare to shopping. It’s time for a
transparency revolution to improve student choice in
higher education.
These tools could make a real difference to people’s
lives by helping them choose a university that will
harness their potential so they can go on to reach
the top of their field.
Contracts of up to £25,000 including VAT will be
awarded to successful bidders to create a prototype
that could be then taken on for further development.
The aim of the competition is to spur private sector
innovation, and we are providing the seed funding to
cover the costs of the initial research and
development.
Interested coders or tech companies who would like to
find out more about this exciting opportunity should
apply via Innovate UK’s
website.
In support of the competition, the Department for
Education is running a series of events in
collaboration with the Open Data Institute, who have a
strong track record in running competitions to
encourage better use of public data in fields from
housing to energy use. Further information is available
on the ODI’s website.
