The next generation of students will be able to take
greater control of their future career paths through new
online apps being launched today, which empower them to
make better choices about where and what to study (2
April).
Universities Minister unveiled two
innovative apps, created by the winners of a Government
competition receiving around £150,000 funding each, which
set out simple and accessible information about graduate
outcomes for prospective students.
The launch of the new tools follow the latest data
published by the Department for Education on Thursday
showing graduate earnings broken down by subject, which
help students and parents to understand likely earnings and
employment outcomes from a range of disciplines.
The new online apps, available to access from the
developers’ websites today, will help to revolutionise
student choice on their future careers, bringing together
data on potential future earnings, with information on
careers and employment options, and the quality of teaching
in an easy to use format. One works as a personalised
digital assistant to access information, while the other is
a game where players can simulate career paths.
The tools also aim to help students make more informed
decisions about the best course and institution for them,
particularly for those from disadvantaged backgrounds who
may receive less help from their parents to navigate
university choices.
Universities Minister said:
The importance of choosing where and what you study at
university cannot be overstated – it will impact the rest
of your professional and personal life.
We have made more information available about
institutions and outcomes than ever before, but sometimes
the sheer amount of data can be daunting for students to
navigate. We want to make it easier and fairer for them
to access the information they need to make good higher
education and career choices.
That’s why we’ve turned to the power of technology and
funded two new apps, empowering students and ensuring
they are well equipped to make these life-changing
decisions which will help them succeed.
Two contracts were awarded to the winners of the Open Data
Competition, one to AccessEd for
ThinkUni, which offers students a ‘personalised digital
assistant’ bringing together data on universities, courses
and financial outcomes that are easy to explore and
compare.
While The Profs have
created TheWayUp!, a game for students to simulate
different graduate career paths to help them make better
choices about their future. It also aims to help students
from disadvantaged backgrounds set aspirational educational
and career goals to increase their chances of achieving
them.
Both apps are in open beta and are available online from
April 2, operating with the latest information on
universities in the UK.
This work is part of the Department’s drive to improve
transparency around higher education data, ensuring that
information is easy to access for everyone going to
university.
Statistics published by the government in June 2018 showed
which courses and institutions give graduates the best
outcomes, in terms of employment, earnings and teaching
quality at universities. In addition the OfS published
a data
dashboard last week which helps students to see
gaps in access, continuation, success and progression at
institutions for different groups such as gender, ethnicity
and disadvantaged backgrounds.
The apps, launched by the Universities Minister today at
EdSpace in the Hackney Campus of New City College, come
ahead of the Department’s EdTech Strategy which will be
launched shortly, which aims to harness the power of
technology in education and unleash young people’s
potential.
