The main aim of the NALN is to increase the number of vocational learners progressing onto higher education in art, design and communication, and from there, onto employment or continuing professional development.
The reason we’re focussing on vocational learners is that research* shows that these tend to be students from less privileged backgrounds, and are also more likely to be from black and minority ethnic groups.
The way we’re ensuring that more of these students gain places on our members’ courses is through Progression Agreements. These are agreements between our members and local FE colleges and schools, which mean that their students have access to a range of supportive schemes while they are going through the application process. We think of this as ‘widening participation that works’ because we can actually track these students as they successfully gain a place and continue through to graduation.
This work is being carried out by Progression Managers, and every full member institution has received NALN funding to employ their own.
We’re also running a number of special projects to develop curricula at different levels, conduct research, look at admissions practices and cater for the needs of students from diverse backgrounds. You can find out about them in the Projects section of this website.
* Connor, H., Sinclair, E., and Banerji, N., Progressing to higher education: vocational qualifications and admissions, Action on Access, Ormskirk.
More information about NALN progression agreements and students who have benefited from them is available in the Progression Agreements section of our website.