What are the wider non-salary benefits of HE and FE for individuals, communities and society?
• What are the benefits of HE and FE on individual wellbeing, physical and mental health, societal engagement, and long-term employment?
• What are the wider societal benefits of HE and FE study and provision (including the local and national benefits generated by HE/FE providers)?

Background

Other 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 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.

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 [email protected]

Related UKRI funded projects

  • Refining and reinvigorating adult education and training research through longitudinal analyses.

    The proposed project aims to investigate patterns of participation in education and training among adults and their related potential benefits in the domains of (1) health, (2) work and careers, and (3) the social commun...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Glasgow

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project aims to investigate the benefits of adult education and training on health, work, and social community, aligning with the wider non-salary benefits of HE and FE for individuals and society.

  • Centre for Learning and Life Chances

    Summary The Centre for Learning and Life Chances (LLAKES) conducts research into the role of lifelong learning in promoting economic competitiveness and social cohesion and in mediating the interactions between policies...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

    Why might this be relevant?

    Partially answers the question by focusing on societal benefits of HE and FE study and provision.

  • 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

    Lead research organisation: University of Sussex

    Why might this be relevant?

    Fully answers the question by investigating the role of education in determining social benefits for individuals.

  • A UK-IRELAND INVESTIGATION INTO THE STATISTICAL EVIDENCE-BASE UNDERPINNING ADULT LEARNING AND EDUCATION POLICY-MAKING

    This project starts from the observation that participation rates in Adult Learning and Education (ALE) have significantly declined over the past 15 years. This has caused significant concern to many stakeholders in the ...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Glasgow

    Why might this be relevant?

    Partially answers the question by investigating the statistical evidence base underpinning adult learning and education policy-making.

  • Future of HE: Centre for Engaged Global Higher Education

    The last two generations have seen a remarkable world-wide transformation of higher education (HE) into a core social sector with continually expanding local and global reach. Most nations are moving towards, or have alr...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Oxford

  • Development and enhancement of Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) data

    Understanding how much individuals and society benefit from different education and training courses is vital for governments weighing up investments in education and skills. Access to data with rich information on educa...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON

  • A whole university approach to student mental health support and investigation of key social and educational factors linked to student wellbeing.

    Student mental health and wellbeing is an area of growing concern in higher education nationally and internationally. My PhD was the first study of its kind to evaluate the impact of an innovative change in student welf...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Bristol

  • HE: Pathways to personal & public good: understanding access to, student experiences of, & outcomes from South African undergraduate higher education

    This International Centre Partnership is located within the Higher Education Thematic area. It is a collaboration between the ESRC/HEFCE funded Centre for Global Higher Education and a cluster of NRF projects in South Af...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: Lancaster University

  • Community Catalyst

    There is a growing demand to map the journeys of young people through school; further and higher education; employment; healthcare; criminal justice and other systems that are an intrinsic part of our social life. Doing ...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: National Foundation for Educat Research

  • International Centre for Lifecourse Studies in Society and Health (ICLS) Legacy

    ICLS's future activities build on an exceptional track record of scientific and societal impact, capacity building and co-funded research. In the next phase we will concentrate on ensuring external visibility to maximise...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON