Annex A: Unlocking Opportunity
Who Goes to College?
1. Figure 1 below shows the age and gender profile of college students in 2004-05. The average age of a student was 32 (29 for male students and 33 for female students).
Figure 1: Number of students (headcount) in colleges by age and gender, 2004-05 (Source: FES)
2. More women than men enrol in college - over 57% of college students are women. There has been a continual rise in the proportion of women students since 1998. Women tend to enrol on shorter courses than men.
3. Students from minority ethnic backgrounds attend college in proportions far above their level in the population as whole - in 2004-05 4.6% of college students were from such a population in the 2001 census.
4. In 2004-05, more than 4,300 students from 116 countries studied at Scotland's colleges. More than 2,700 of these were from outside the European Union.
5. At least 13% of college students have a disclosed or identified disability. This figure includes those with a disclosed disability as well as those on special programmes or requiring extended learning support. This equates to about one fifth of all college activity (which takes into account length and intensity of the learning delivered). This compares with around 19% of the working age population who are estimated as having a disability 2. Disabled people of working age with no qualifications are twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people with no qualifications 3.
6. Figure 2 outlines the nature of the disclosed disabilities in Scotland's colleges in 2004-05.
Figure 2: Learners with disclosed disabilities at colleges, 2004-05 (Source: FES) - legend reads clockwise
7. A significant development in enabling colleges to meet the wide and diverse range of learners has been the capacity building through Beattie 4 in all but one of Scotland's colleges. As a result of this, the college sector is the only sector in Scotland with the staff, skills and resources, e.g. through assistive technologies to provide initial assessment.
Case Study: IT skills for the older population
About 6% of college enrolments are for students who are pensioners. This accounted for 1.4% of college activity. Most of these students are enrolled in part-time Information Technology ( IT) courses.
Around five years ago Cumbernauld College recognised different needs of older adults, including a preference for daytime provision. Courses, such as Beginners IT, which are tailored specifically to the needs of the older participants, were developed for delivery within the college's own centres and in collaboration with the local authorities of North Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire in community centres.
Learners on the course felt that it was important for older people to keep up to date with technology, as they felt that otherwise, they would be in many ways disenfranchised within modern living. The use of the Internet as a reference tool and e-mail to keep in touch with friends and families was a major reason for attending the course. Assisting grandchildren with school homework was also cited in several cases.
For some learners in the over 50 groups, who wished to get back into employment, it was felt that IT Skills, were necessary, even for part-time jobs.
" Jack" stated that " coming to college on this class contributes to mental health, otherwise there would not be much else to do…this course stimulates the mind and allows people to meet with each other…introduces other people and they find they work as a team with common interest. This is particularly necessary as people are now living longer". This statement was met with unanimous approval by all in the class.
What Difference Do Colleges Make to Learners?
- Case Study: English for Speakers of Other Languages ( ESOL)
In 2004-05 over 6,100 college students were enrolled in courses for English for Speakers of Other Languages. This accounted for 1.9% of college activity.
The Executive is currently developing a strategy for ESOL so that all Scottish residents can acquire the English language skills to enable them to participate in Scottish life 5. These language skills are central to giving people a democratic voice and supporting them to contribute to the society in which they live.
About 80% of ESOL enrolments were in Scotland's colleges (this includes outreach provision funded through local authorities or Community Learning and Development partnerships) - National 'English for Speakers of Other Languages' ( ESOL) Strategy: Mapping Exercise and Scoping Study.
Langside College provides ESOL programmes:
- on a short-course, part-time basis in the community, at community campuses throughout the south side of Glasgow and at a wide variety of community-based venues; and
- in college on a full and part-time basis.
In the past four academic years recruitment of the number of ESOL learners has grown by almost 40% to over 1,100. Actual college activity has almost doubled (because of the increased intensity of learner attendance).
Over 80% 'in-college' ESOL learners will attend for at least five sessions a week. Many of these learners (mainly asylum seekers) attend on a full-time basis. In 2005-06, for example, the College enrolled 242 full time asylum seeker learners.
The College also recruits 15-30 full time international ESOL students each year.
Salim came to Scotland from Iraq as an asylum seeker in 2000. Now a refugee he has been studying at Langside College for five years. His learning path is typical of many in his situation:
- Slow ESOL progression due to poor reading and writing skills (relative to traditional European English foreign language students);
- Study on non- ESOL courses has been on courses run in conjunction with ESOL support; and
- No employment success, through lack of experience and qualifications.
With support from an Asylum Seeker Development Officer (a service open to all asylum seekers and refugees at Langside College and which is part funded by the Glasgow Community Learning Strategy Partnership), he is now performing well on his Upper-Intermediate ESOL course and expects to progress in the summer of 2006. His says of his aims: "I want a job. I must get to Advanced and finish this language problem. I need a First Certificate" [an internationally-known Upper-Intermediate exam]. "I have applied for more than 100 jobs, but no thanks, sorry, no opportunities."
What Makes That Difference?
- Case Study: Supporting Learners with Additional Support Needs
About one fifth of college activity is delivered to students with a disability.
Stevenson College Edinburgh has, for many years, approached additional support needs as any support over and above that provided to all of its students. While there is a great deal of specialist provision for students at the College, including courses for people with acquired brain injury, support is typically for students already in mainstream classes or preparing to access mainstream classes.
Increasingly the College has classes where a number or even a majority of the students have support needs. The admission of many students who require additional support means devoting large resources to pre-admissions and involving the coordination of a number of cross college teams and external support agencies. The 'class of 2004', which is based on a main stream class which came into the College in the year 2004, provides a fairly representative picture of how the College approaches support for students in mainstream classes.
Class of 2004
Of the 18 students in the 'class of 2004' group more than half had additional support needs. Below is how the College responded to some of those needs.
Student 1 had Asperger's Syndrome. The support for this student, as it does for all Stevenson College students, included personal tutor support. The Student Support Team provided staff development on the syndrome and staff were also able to access information held on the College intranet.
Student 2 was a single parent and was referred to the Student Advice Centre at interview for information on local childminders and advice on childcare and hardship funding.
Student 3 was partially sighted and the Student Support Team liaised with the teaching team, the Royal National Institute of the Blind and social work. Following a risk assessment carried out by the care support worker, the Computer Service Unit installed specialist software and an educational support assistant was provided for classroom work.
Student 4 was from Spain. Support for him involved referral to the English Language Support Team for initial assessment and ongoing support and referral to the Student Advice Centre team for advice on accommodation.
Student 5 was a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy. Support involved an initial assessment by the Student Support Team, provision of a scribe for a communication class and provision of laptop computer. The teaching team also adjusted one unit to suit the needs of this student.
Student 6 was a recovering drug addict on a methadone programme who had low literacy levels. The Student Support Team made the teaching team aware of the issues for a methadone user, i.e. possible daily collection of prescriptions, etc. The student was encouraged to visit the Study Skills Centre for extra help with literacy. This student was also referred to the Student Advice Centre in order to access extra funding through hardship funds.
"I'm Stephen. I'm 19. I have Cerebral Palsy which seems mild as I can speak and be fairly cheeky but I cannot walk and I have limited use in my right side, I'm very left sided. I have a member of the Student Support Team who supports me and someone from the Education Support team who scribes for me. Maureen helps me get things done in English a whole lot quicker and I've passed my Intermediate 1 which hopefully means I can get on to NQ Broadcast Skills because I would like to be a DJ.
My Student Support Team person is a friendly ear who gave me advice and sorted things out and advised me to meet up with someone from the Access Centre who sorted out the type of equipment which would help, like the adapted scissors.
I'm looking forward to my next course and have already contacted a radio station with a tape.
I'm just about to move into my own house so life is looking good."
Stephen
- Case Study: Breaking Down Gender Stereotypes
As Life Through Learning; Learning Through Life explains, "the Executive is committed to securing equal opportunities for all and eliminating discrimination and prejudice in our society. Uneven access to lifelong learning can entrench inequality".
There have been difficulties in recruiting men into jobs working with children for a number of years. Some men may have reservations about working with children which may be to do with cultural perceptions, attitudes and the view that it is not 'manly' to work with children.
Stevenson College Edinburgh recognised that they were not attracting enough male students into their early years education and childcare courses. The college worked in partnership with the 'Men in Childcare' project to attract and support male students and develop a positive view and understanding of working with children. Its long term aim is to recruit more men onto higher level courses leading to a career working with children.
Derek had been employed for a number of years in the bakery industry but realised that he wanted to do something more rewarding professionally and personally with his life. He attended the introductory child development and play course at the College. The course gave him a greater insight into what working with children could be like and what he was required to do in order to achieve the necessary qualifications to pursue a career in the childcare profession.
On completion of the introductory course Derek completed the fast track National Certificate course, which involved two evenings of study each week. After successfully achieving this, he gave up his job and enrolled full-time on the Higher National Course in Early Years and Childcare.
"Changing careers was the best decision I could have made and the move into childcare provided me with a real sense of fulfilment."
Derek