The Determinants of Undertaking Academic and Vocational Qualifications in the United Kingdom

There is a vast body of research that has focused on the determinants of qualification attainment and staying on in post-compulsory education Generally, those with a higher measure of innate ability are more likely to undertake additional qualifications or remain in full-time education than those with lower levels of measured ability. However, little research has specifically focused on the determinants of the type of qualification attained or questioned why a specific path of qualification attainment has been adopted in the first place. This paper illustrates the fact that innate ability does not determine the path of qualification attainment, especially at low levels of qualification. It is actually the case that combinations of regional, other personal and family characteristics are influential in the adoption of the academic or vocational route.