Selection for vocational courses at university ‐ part 2: perspectives of university admission officers

Abstract

Aims to determine the nature of the criteria used in the selection of students for undergraduate courses and to establish the extent to which the academic and non‐academic qualities employed reflect and/or embrace those regarded as important by students’ subsequent employers. Considers findings from 25 in‐depth interviews with hotel and catering management UK undergraduate selectors representing 16 institutions, which provided sets of descriptors and an indication of the relative importances of the qualities sought. Concludes that there is little concordance between university admission officers’ and industrial employers’ selection criteria. Primarily, the former seek applicants whom they judge to be likely to complete the course successfully using academic measures, in contrast to the latter, who show a great interest in appropriate work experience and non‐academic qualities. Recommends that there should be better communication between undergraduate and industrial recruitment personnel concerning the “qualities that matter” in prospective students and industrial trainees and that, ideally, industrial representatives should have direct involvement in the recruitment of students to undergraduate courses.

Citation

Ineson, E.M. and Kempa, R.F. (1996), "Selection for vocational courses at university ‐ part 2: perspectives of university admission officers", Education + Training, Vol. 38 No. 9, pp. 14-20. https://doi.org/10.1108/00400919610150545