Speaking ahead of the publication of A-level results and students
finding out whether their university applications have been
successful, Alistair Jarvis, Chief Executive of
Universities UK, said:
“There remains strong demand for
university places, with the proportion of 18-year-olds
in England applying at record levels. The majority of applicants
will get the grades required and will secure their place at
university. For those who do not get the results they had hoped,
there are many options available to them through clearing. Last
year, a record 66,865 applicants used clearing to find the right
course for them.
“A university education is an excellent investment which can have
a transformational impact through the skills and experiences
graduates acquire. The UK has one of the
best and most diverse university sectors in the world.
“Most university graduates continue to earn substantially more
than non-graduates, earning on average an extra £10,000 each
year, and are more likely to be in employment. University
graduates are also in increasing demand from employers, with the
graduate jobs market expected to grow this year with an estimated
11 per cent rise in vacancies.
“It's important that we move away from the out-dated split
between academic versus vocational courses. Around 40 per cent of
courses currently offered by universities have a technical,
professional or vocational focus. Universities are also playing a
lead role in apprenticeships, with degree apprenticeships
allowing students to split their time between university study
and the workplace.”
ENDS
Notes
- In total, more than 635,000 people have applied so far this
year. Based on previous years, UCAS expects around three quarters
of those to be accepted to their first choice. Applicants can
sign in to Track on ucas.com from
08:00 on 16 August, to see if they’ve been accepted. For more
information about results day and how students will have their
university confirmed, see the UCAS release.
- A recently published report from Universities UK revealed
that the growth in student numbers has not led to university
entrants having lower qualifications. The analysis shows
that, last year, the average student had 340 UCAS tariff points
on entry (around BBB at A-level, plus C at AS level), compared
to 313 tariff points in 2011 (between BBC and BCC at A-level,
plus C at AS level). The analysis, 'Growth and choice in
university admissions', showed also that vocational
qualifications, such as BTECs, are widely recognised in
university admissions.
- The 2018 annual
survey from the Institute of Student Employers
revealed that the graduate jobs market is expected to grow this
year, with an estimated 11 per cent rise in vacancies.
- The latest Graduate Labour Market
Statistics show that, in 2017, English-domiciled
graduates and postgraduates had higher employment rates than
non-graduates and the average, working age graduate earned
£10,000 per year more than the average non-graduate.
