Today sees the publication of the last instalment of UCAS’ Journey to a Million essay collection with expert thinkers reflecting on what the 30 per cent uplift in demand by the end of the decade will mean for all facets of the student lifecycle.
As we reach the finish line for our publication, in many ways, the starting gun is just being fired for the Million cohort. As today’s Year 7 (S1 in Scotland) school pupils look ahead to their summer holidays, for the sector, there is much work to be done.
This can be boiled down to two major challenges: choice – how do we ensure that students remain in control of their own destiny? And competition – how do we equip students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to navigate this new landscape?
The Journey to a Million presents a once in a generation economic opportunity to tackle skills gaps, but with this is also the risk of wasted talent if we do not create attractive and accessible options for these individuals. So, what can be done?
