An Exploration of Progression Rates of Widening Participation Students on to an Integrated Master of Engineering

Abstract

This paper reports on an investigation into the potential to widen participation to Higher Education provided by a flexible learning MEng Engineering. The MEng is part of an integrated programme that provides progression routes from a traditional day release Apprenticeship, through HNC, FdEng at a Further Education College to a flexible learning BEng/MEng at a Higher Education Institution. The programme was originally developed to answer a demand from local industry to upskill the engineering workforce, however, the nature of the provision means that it meets much of the best practice for widening participation. The investigation concludes that while the programme provides an opportunity for mature learners to undertake higher education, it largely provides an alternative pathway through vocational education to higher education qualifications for a white male middle class cohort. It also highlights that entry to apprenticeships that lead to progression opportunities is controlled not by educational institutions but by industry.

Staying or leaving: contributing factors for U.K. engineering students’ decisions to pursue careers in engineering industry

“…The United Kingdom has struggled not only with graduates entering engineering industry but also participation from women, black and minority ethnic students, and students originally born in the United Kingdom (Osborne and Javid 2015;Royal Academy of Engineering 2016;Humphries-Smith and Hunt 2017). A longitudinal study of U.K. youth found that engineering was seen as a masculine pursuit indicating particular barriers for the participation of women (Francis et al 2017).…”

Unpicking the Barriers to Diversity in Engineering Apprenticeships

“…This paper reports on a series of interventions, that were made to improve the progression opportunities of engineering design apprentices from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined by postcode data, studying at a further education (FE) college, on the south coast of the UK. Earlier research reported in Humphries-Smith et al [1] and Humphries-Smith and Hunt [2] determined that progression to level 4 study showed an almost total domination by white middle class males, while progression by those from disadvantaged backgrounds, determined by postcode data as being less than 10%. Similar quantitative research, at the same FE college, on the backgrounds of Higher National Certificate (HNC) and level 2 & 3 apprentices [3], showed that students from lower socio-economic backgrounds were more likely to study craft qualifications rather than technical qualifications that can lead to higher education progression.…”

Examining the Importance of Noncognitive and Affective (NCA) Factors for Engineering Student Success

“…The United Kingdom has struggled with graduates entering engineering industry and also participation from women, traditionally underrepresented racial/ethnic students, and students originally born in the United Kingdom [20], [21]. The trends for students entering engineering industry jobs post-graduation are even lower than those within the United States.…”