Robbie Maris

Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO), Institute of Education, UCL

UBEL Pathway: Quantitative Social Science/Economics

Supervisor: Prof Gill Wyness and Prof Jake Anders

Contact details: Robert.maris.23@ucl.ac.uk

About Me

I am a Kiwi (New Zealander) and did my bachelor’s and master’s at The University of Waikato in New Zealand. My undergraduate degree was in economics and chemistry, followed by a master’s in environmental economics. I have a strong focus on conducting inter-disciplinary research that has real-world applications and can help address key global challenges!

In the past, I have worked as a research assistant, tutor and environmental economics consultant. I have been fortunate to work with a range of excellent research teams on various topics, including the impacts of social media on vaccine preferences, ways to increase volunteering for nature restoration groups and evaluating the efficacy of mental health education interventions at universities.

I am also a massive football fan and have been a football referee for the past ten years!

https://robbiemaris.netlify.app/

Twitter: @RobbieMaris1

My Research

My research will explore the changing level three qualifications market in the UK and the impact this is having on students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The UK government has recently introduced a new type of qualification known as the T level. T levels are technical courses which are equivalent to 3 A levels, but offer a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience. Their aim is to improve the quality of technical education available to young people to meet labour market needs and provide the skills and knowledge to improve young people’s productivity, later wages and, hence, life chances. However, to date, little is known about how effective these new qualifications are for improving the life chances of young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. My PhD research aims to fill this gap.

Impact of My Research

This research will help policymakers understand the impacts of T levels on student outcomes and life chances. The results will also provide important information to improve the design, targeting and rollout of T levels across the UK.

More broadly, this research will be of relevance to education systems and policy globally, including in New Zealand (where I am from). The UK education system faces challenges experienced by many other nations, including high absentee rates, poor outcomes for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and insufficient technical skills training. The T level qualification was introduced to address many of these issues and my research will provide insights into how effective T levels are at addressing some of these key issues.