The higher participation of England’s ethnic minority students on vocational courses at the age of 16 initiates them onto the ‘lower tier’ pathway in tertiary education. Lower tier implies participating in certain vocational courses and entering lower status universities. Consequently, ethnic minority students in England have a weaker labour market position upon graduation. Using semi-structured interviews, this article explores the decision-making process of 12 British Pakistani students, as they are initiated on this lower tier pathway. The findings suggest that decision-making is a negotiation of student biography with ethnic capital and ‘racial warehousing’. This interplay funnels many ethnic minority students towards the lower tier pathway, where selecting certain vocational courses is deemed as the only pathway feasible for progression. This study sheds light on the need to promote alternative vocational pathways to England’s ethnic minority students. © 2023 The Vocational Aspect of Education Ltd.
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