• How can we maximise the benefits of work experience for those students who lack social capital?
Background
DfE research interests for this pillar of the Opportunity Mission include enabling learners to make decisions that are informed by understanding the opportunities and support available, especially participation in further and higher education, and how continuing education affects their future opportunities. We also need to explore how our sectors can best prepare learners to take advantage of those opportunities, including in secondary education. We are especially interested in practices in further and higher education that engage less researched groups, such as those with care experience, those with SEND, experience of Alternate Provision, and children with a history of offending. However, this topic is not specific to the further and higher education sectors; for example, how different occupations and opportunities are conveyed to children at pre-school and school will influence their willingness to consider those paths in later life. (For brevity, please read all references to children as encompassing both children and young people where appropriate.)
Full details can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-education-areas-of-research-interest
Next steps
Get in touch with research.engagement@education.gov.uk
Research fields
Related UKRI funded projects
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Education and social outcomes for young people: promoting success
This project aims to investigate the role of general education and vocational education and training in the determination of social benefits for individuals. It focuses in particular on health and civic and social engage...
Funded by: ESRC
Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it focuses on social benefits of education but not specifically on maximizing work experience benefits for students lacking social capital.
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NewtonRCUKCONICYT School to higher education, work transitions and exclusion: Insight and learning from 4 countries in times of social reform in Chile
Education is considered to be one of the key drivers to addressing social (in)equality issues, especially in lower-income countries. In Chile and other Latin American countries specifically, existing educational systems ...
Funded by: ESRC
Why might this be relevant?
Partially relevant as it examines transitions between school, higher education, and work in different countries, but does not specifically address maximizing work experience benefits for students lacking social capital.
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Opportunity, equality and agency in England's new VET landscape: a longitudinal study of post-16 transitions
This 5-year study will investigate how England's vocational education and training (VET) system can better support the school-to-work transitions of the 50% of young people who do not go to university. Routes into furthe...
Funded by: ESRC
Why might this be relevant?
Fully relevant as it investigates how vocational education can support school-to-work transitions for young people, including those marginalized, and explores the implications for equality and policy.