Headlines This week’s report is a medley of highs, lows and signs of an intriguing trend. The low point was that in Week 25 the number of new Degree Apprenticeship (DA) vacancies advertised in England and suitable for school/college leavers came to a dismal total of nine. This must surely be the lowest figure since … Continue reading 25 weeks after the start of ‘lockdown’: latest update on the impact of COVID-19 on Higher & Degree Apprenticeship vacancies in England

Headlines This week I’m pleased to report a distinct upturn, although it remains to be seen whether this is another flash in the pan or the start of a recovery. The improvement on this occasion was also somewhat London-centric with, unusually, over 70% of the new vacancies in the Greater London area. In particular there … Continue reading 24 weeks after the start of ‘lockdown’: latest update on the impact of COVID-19 on Higher & Degree Apprenticeship vacancies in England

Headlines A distinct trend has been noticeable over the last six weeks. It’s not a very encouraging trend, but it would be interesting to debate whether there’s a rationale that explains it or if it’s just a blip. Excluding recent bulk postings of degree apprenticeships (DAs) by West Yorkshire Police (150) and the Valuation Office … Continue reading 23 weeks after the start of ‘lockdown’: latest update on the impact of COVID-19 on Higher & Degree Apprenticeship vacancies in England

I took this whilst visiting some universities in typically glorious Welsh sunshine last October! My Welsh correspondent has been keeping me busy this summer. But being half Welsh myself, I’m always happy to do what I can to keep the Principality in the minds of students and parents when they’re investigating and researching uni choices. … Continue reading Study in Wales Virtual HE Fair on Friday 4 September

Headlines The latest week in my ongoing survey saw 89 new higher and degree apprenticeship vacancies posted, comprising 51 DAs and 38 HAs. 40 of the DAs were all for Chartered Surveyors with the Valuation Office Agency, but these were dispersed quite widely around England and helped to keep my regional analysis looking fairly healthy … Continue reading 22 weeks after the start of ‘lockdown’: latest update on the impact of COVID-19 on Higher & Degree Apprenticeship vacancies in England

I’m hearing on my Welsh grapevine that Aberystwyth Uni still has vacancies in some subject areas and will be offering at least five hours per week of face to face teaching, in addition to any other teaching inputs this autumn. Accommodation can also be guaranteed to Clearing applicants at least until mid-September. Being located in … Continue reading UCAS Clearing news from West Wales

Postscript: This blogpost was written a few hours before the government performed a U-turn and the situation changed, but I'm leaving it intact as a record of how I perceived things on the day, topped and tailed with brief updates. In 43 years as a guidance practitioner, it was the most difficult and extraordinary A-Level … Continue reading A-Level results 2020: “Even the happy students weren’t happy”

Headlines With all the current anxieties and controversy surrounding A Level results and the notorious algorithm or ‘statistical model’, I would love to be able to report positive news on the higher and degree apprenticeships front. In fact, Week 21 did see a slight improvement on the week before, so my latest update has a … Continue reading 21 weeks after the start of ‘lockdown’: latest update on the impact of COVID-19 on Higher & Degree Apprenticeship vacancies in England

This week’s headlines Week 20 brought another mixture of good news and not so good news. The good news is that the number of new Higher Apprenticeships being posted in England seems to be rising, with 148 new vacancies in the last three weeks. That’s still barely a third of the numbers posted pre-lockdown, but … Continue reading 20 weeks after the start of ‘lockdown’: latest update on the impact of COVID-19 on Higher & Degree Apprenticeship vacancies in England

Headlines Week 19 was another one of highs and lows. The highlight was the posting of 150 Police Constable degree apprenticeships (PCDAs) by West Yorkshire Police. Clearly, these will not all be snapped up by school or college leavers, but 18-year-olds would nonetheless be eligible to apply. The week also saw 44 new higher apprenticeship … Continue reading 19 weeks after the start of ‘lockdown’: latest update on the impact of COVID-19 on Higher & Degree Apprenticeship vacancies in England