Bath Spa University and Forces in Mind Trust have recently launched a new report on Access to Higher Education for those with a Service background.
The research was commissioned because recurrent, anecdotal evidence from the project’s partner Access Validating Agency, Ascentis, showed a decline in the number of Access course students with a Service background in South West England, a region that apparently hosts around 25% of Britain’s Armed Forces.
The Access to Higher Education Diploma (Access Course) is a well-established course, generally delivered locally through Further Education Institutions and provides a non-traditional route into Higher Education.
According to the report, which was released on 17 November, access to Higher Education for Service leavers and their families needs to be improved to ensure they have the “best possible chance” of establishing successful civilian careers.
While the majority of Service leavers return successfully to civilian life, there are still some who need support to enable them to achieve fulfilling careers within the civilian sector.
The report identifies a number of opportunities to improve the journey to and through Access courses for students, particularly for those from the lower ranks of the Army and for Service spouses from all three Armed Service backgrounds. It offers recommendations for both civilian and military-facing organisations to consider.
Among its findings, the report highlights that:
• Improvements are needed to the quality and provision of information, advice and guidance relating to Access to Higher Education Diplomas
• An increase is needed in the provision of aspirational, informed Career Information Advice and Guidance
• Provision of a bespoke package of “resettlement support” for the spouses of Service personnel would help them establish fulfilling civilian careers
This research has been led by Dr. Mel Macer, Research Fellow at Bath Spa University’s Institute for Education, and was principally funded by the Forces in Mind Trust, with additional funding from Ascentis and Help for Heroes.
Ray Lock CBE, Chief Executive of FiMT, said: “Employment is one of the most important factors leading to successful transition from military to civilian lives, and while the Services already do invest a considerable amount in learning, inevitably there will be gaps at transition relating to a lack of direct transferability, or simply not having had the opportunity to fulfil an individual’s learning potential. The solutions are neither complex, nor are they costly. I therefore lay down a challenge to everyone involved in Access to Higher Education Diplomas: identify what you can do to improve the take-up, and then just do it.”
