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HEFCE

December 2007/35 (web only)
Issues paper

This report is for information only

Pathways to higher education
BTEC courses

This report describes the attributes and progression to higher education of students who have undertaken BTEC courses at further education level.

To: Heads of publicly funded higher education institutions in the UK
Heads of publicly funded further education colleges in the UK
Of interest to those responsible for: Student data, widening participation, learning and teaching
Reference: 2007/35
Publication date: December 2007
Enquiries to: Mark Gittoes
tel 0117 931 7052
e-mail m.gittoes@hefce.ac.uk

Contents and executive summary (read online)

Contents

  • Executive summary
  • Introduction
  • Data sources and definition of the cohort
    • Data sources
    • BTEC courses
    • Defining the cohorts for analysis
  • Trends in student numbers
  • Attributes of BTEC courses, course providers and students
    • Introduction
    • Course attributes
    • Location and type of BTEC course provider attributes
    • Student attributes
  • Progression from BTEC courses to higher education
    • Introduction
    • Qualifying from a BTEC course
    • Progression to higher education
    • Progression by qualification outcome
    • Achievement in higher education
    • Reporting procedures
    • Overall progression characteristics
    • Relationship between BTEC course provider and institution of HE study
    • Characteristics of BTEC course providers
    • Characteristics of BTEC courses
    • Characteristics of BTEC students
  • List of abbreviations
  • Annex A Cohort definitions
  • Annex B Extended tables - all registered BTEC students
  • Annex C Extended tables - qualifiers from BTEC National Awards and BTEC National Certificates, and progression by qualification outcome

Executive summary

Purpose

1.   To describe the attributes and progression to higher education (HE) of students who have undertaken BTEC courses at further education (FE) level.

Key points

2.   Since their development in the 1970s and 1980s, BTEC programmes have become valued and respected qualifications that remain a popular option within further education. In recent years there has been a steady growth in the number of students starting on BTEC courses. More than 180,000 students started an FE-level BTEC course in 2005-06, equating to a 131 per cent increase over the four years from 2002-03 to 2005-06.

3.   We have taken the cohort of students who started a Level 3 BTEC course in 2002-03. This was the most recent and relevant cohort for which we were able to describe patterns of progression into higher education.1 Of these 61,684 students, 98 per cent were registered at a further education college and 76 per cent started on a BTEC National Diploma.

4.   We found that a 'typical' BTEC student is aged 16-19; this age group accounts for 81 per cent of the population of BTEC starters. In addition, the proportion of male BTEC students is higher than that of female students, particularly in the case of BTEC National Certificate programmes where 72 per cent of students are male.

5.   While 29 per cent of BTEC students study just for their BTEC qualification, 10 per cent also study concurrently for A-level qualifications. Of the other qualifications studied concurrently with a BTEC programme, the most popular is a key skills qualification, which 45 per cent of BTEC students also undertake. Only 7 per cent of students are still actively studying a concurrent qualification by the end of their BTEC course.

6.    Of the cohort of students looked at for this study, 56 per cent qualified from their BTEC course, and the majority (88 per cent) did so in the 2003-04 academic year. In addition, 83 per cent of those qualifying from a BTEC course continued with some formal study, with 41 per cent on degree or other undergraduate programmes. Around a quarter of students who started a BTEC National Diploma in 2002-03 had progressed into higher education by the end of the 2004-05 academic year.

7.   Typically, progression from BTEC courses to higher education involves a move from a further education college to a higher education institution (HEI). Though BTEC students tend to choose an HEI near to their home, this does not mean that students on the same BTEC course programme go on to the same HEI. The average BTEC National Diploma group will have students going to about 17 different institutions to study at HE level.

8.   Of those qualifying students who go on to higher education from BTEC courses, most go on to full-time courses. Although they study a wide range of subjects at HE level, half of them study in the same subject area as they did for their BTEC, with 'creative arts and design' being the most popular.

Action required

9.   No action is required in response to this document.

Notes

1.   See 'Defining the cohorts for analysis' (paragraphs 29 to 36) for further discussion of our cohort selection.