Comparing what people from Wales are studying in Wales VS those outside of Wales: Part 1

Dr Owain James

Recently I've discovered that you can filter students by their location of study and subject of study (with some limitations*) through UCAS's website. So I thought I'd pull the data together and compare what people from Wales are studying in Wales VS what they are studying outside of Wales, and see what emerges.

I'm sharing the results in two parts: next week I'll share the data for the subject areas that HESA classifies as 'Non-Science' - but this week I'm sharing the data for subjects falling under 'Science', which you can find in the graphic below 👇

Before I discuss the data - why is it even useful to know what people are studying by their location of study? Well, if Wales has skills shortages in certain areas, we really want to know if there are other talent pools in other locations we can draw upon to fill those skills gaps. This, as a tool, can help employers and organisations in Wales know where certain skills are being developed, and perhaps change recruitment strategies accordingly.

Here are some observations on the data below:

  • Although there is still a number of people who study subjects in relation to human biology outside of Wales (i.e. Medicine and Dentistry; Subjects Allied to Medicine; Biological and Sport Sciences; Psychology), people from Wales tend to stay in Wales to take these subjects. Perhaps this shows an intent to work within the Welsh NHS after graduating?
  • Conversely, if you are looking for somebody from Wales with a degree in Veterinary Science or Agriculture/Food, you might want to look outside of Wales
  • Many high-demand STEM subjects fall under categories that are stronger outside of Wales (Physical Sciences; Mathematical Sciences; Engineering and Technology), with the exception of Computing degrees. The demand for these skills will keep growing - we should be looking outside of Wales to meet these skill gaps it seems.
  • Architecture, Building and Planning degrees are more popular outside of Wales - anecdotally I have heard that there is a lack of some 'in demand' degrees within this category in Welsh Universities, which may explain the balance in favour of universities outside of Wales.

You can have a play around with the data on UCAS's website here (under Provider > Applications & acceptances).

‍*The limitations to keep in mind:

  • This data only refers to undergraduates whose places had been accepted by the end of 2022 cycle
  • The subjects cannot be explored in any greater detail. For instance, you cannot find out the specific courses that people from Wales are taking
English
Cymraeg

Recently I've discovered that you can filter students by their location of study and subject of study (with some limitations*) through UCAS's website. So I thought I'd pull the data together and compare what people from Wales are studying in Wales VS what they are studying outside of Wales, and see what emerges.

I'm sharing the results in two parts: next week I'll share the data for the subject areas that HESA classifies as 'Non-Science' - but this week I'm sharing the data for subjects falling under 'Science', which you can find in the graphic below 👇

Before I discuss the data - why is it even useful to know what people are studying by their location of study? Well, if Wales has skills shortages in certain areas, we really want to know if there are other talent pools in other locations we can draw upon to fill those skills gaps. This, as a tool, can help employers and organisations in Wales know where certain skills are being developed, and perhaps change recruitment strategies accordingly.

Here are some observations on the data below:

  • Although there is still a number of people who study subjects in relation to human biology outside of Wales (i.e. Medicine and Dentistry; Subjects Allied to Medicine; Biological and Sport Sciences; Psychology), people from Wales tend to stay in Wales to take these subjects. Perhaps this shows an intent to work within the Welsh NHS after graduating?
  • Conversely, if you are looking for somebody from Wales with a degree in Veterinary Science or Agriculture/Food, you might want to look outside of Wales
  • Many high-demand STEM subjects fall under categories that are stronger outside of Wales (Physical Sciences; Mathematical Sciences; Engineering and Technology), with the exception of Computing degrees. The demand for these skills will keep growing - we should be looking outside of Wales to meet these skill gaps it seems.
  • Architecture, Building and Planning degrees are more popular outside of Wales - anecdotally I have heard that there is a lack of some 'in demand' degrees within this category in Welsh Universities, which may explain the balance in favour of universities outside of Wales.

You can have a play around with the data on UCAS's website here (under Provider > Applications & acceptances).

‍*The limitations to keep in mind:

  • This data only refers to undergraduates whose places had been accepted by the end of 2022 cycle
  • The subjects cannot be explored in any greater detail. For instance, you cannot find out the specific courses that people from Wales are taking

Yn ddiweddar rwyf wedi darganfod y gallwch hidlo myfyrwyr yn ôl eu lleoliad astudio a'u pwnc astudio (gyda rhai cyfyngiadau*) trwy wefan UCAS. Felly meddyliais y byddwn yn tynnu'r data at ei gilydd a chymharu'r hyn y mae pobl o Gymru yn ei astudio yng Nghymru yn erbyn yr hyn y maent yn ei astudio y tu allan i Gymru, a gweld beth sy'n dod i'r amlwg.

Rwy'n rhannu'r canlyniadau mewn dwy ran: yr wythnos nesaf byddaf yn rhannu'r data ar gyfer y meysydd pwnc y mae HESA yn eu dosbarthu fel pynciau 'Anwyddonol' - ond yr wythnos hon rwy'n rhannu'r data ar gyfer pynciau sy'n dod o dan 'Gwyddoniaeth', fel y gallwch weld yn y graffig isod 👇

Cyn i mi drafod y data - pam ydy e'n ddefnyddiol gwybod beth mae pobl yn ei astudio yn ôl eu lleoliad astudio? Wel, os oes gan Gymru brinder sgiliau mewn rhai meysydd, rydym ni wir eisiau gwybod a oes cronfeydd talent eraill mewn lleoliadau eraill y gallwn ni eu manteisio arnynt i lenwi’r bylchau sgiliau hynny. Gall y data hyn helpu cyflogwyr a sefydliadau yng Nghymru i wybod lle mae sgiliau penodol yn cael eu datblygu, ac efallai newid strategaethau recriwtio yn unol â hynny.

Dyma rai sylwadau ar y data isod:

  • Er bod nifer o bobl yn dal i astudio pynciau mewn perthynas â bioleg ddynol y tu allan i Gymru (h.y. Meddygaeth a Deintyddiaeth; Pynciau Cysylltiedig â Meddygaeth; Gwyddorau Biolegol a Chwaraeon; Seicoleg), mae pobl o Gymru yn tueddu i aros yng Nghymru i gymryd y pynciau hyn. Efallai bod hyn yn dangos bwriad i weithio o fewn GIG Cymru ar ôl graddio?
  • I’r gwrthwyneb, os ydych yn chwilio am rywun o Gymru sydd â gradd mewn Gwyddor Filfeddygol neu Amaethyddiaeth/Bwyd, efallai dylech edrych y tu allan i Gymru
  • Mae llawer o bynciau STEM yn dod o dan gategorïau sydd yn gryfach y tu allan i Gymru (Gwyddorau Ffisegol; Gwyddorau Mathemategol; Peirianneg a Thechnoleg), ac eithrio graddau Cyfrifiadura. Bydd y galw am y sgiliau hyn yn parhau i dyfu - dylem fod yn edrych y tu allan i Gymru i gwrdd â'r bylchau sgiliau hyn mae'n ymddangos.
  • Mae graddau Pensaernïaeth, Adeiladu a Chynllunio yn fwy poblogaidd y tu allan i Gymru – yn anecdotaidd rwyf wedi clywed bod diffyg rhai graddau o fewn y categori hwn ym mhrifysgolion Cymru, sydd efallai’n egluro’r cydbwysedd o blaid prifysgolion y tu allan i Gymru.

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Mae modd chwarae o gwmpas gyda'r data ar wefan UCAS yma (o dan Darparwr > Ceisiadau a derbyniadau)

*Y cyfyngiadau i'w cadw mewn cof:

  • Mae'r data hwn ond yn cyfeirio at israddedigion yr oedd eu lleoedd wedi'u derbyn ar gyfer y flwyddyn 2022
  • Nid oes modd mynd i fwy o fanylder o ran y pynciau. Er enghraifft, ni allwch ddarganfod y cyrsiau penodol y mae pobl o Gymru yn eu dilyn