Helping FE Colleges unlock recruitment potential through data-driven insights
Looking to attract more learners and strengthen your college’s position in a competitive market? Understanding learner travel patterns – such as how far learners are willing to travel, what they study, and where they might choose competing institutions – can transform your recruitment strategy. Travel Time & Competition Analysis helps FE colleges uncover these insights, enabling you to make data-driven decisions that boost enrolment and strengthen your position locally.
What is Travel Time & Competition Analysis
Travel Time Analysis uses Isochrone Mapping to visualize how far someone can travel from a specific point within a certain amount of time. An “isochrone” is simply a line on a map that connects all points reachable within the same travel time, whether by public transport, driving, or cycling.
For FE colleges, these maps provide a powerful way to:
✔ Understand learner travel patterns – See where your students are coming from and how accessible your campuses are.
✔ Identify competitive overlaps – Spot areas where your local catchment areas intersect with competitors, highlighting regions of greater student choice and competition.
✔ Enhance recruitment strategies – Use travel time insights to inform target marketing efforts, improve outreach, and increase enrolments.
✔ Plan transport strategy – Identify key transport routes and highlight underserved areas where improved transport links could increase learner recruitment.
How Can Travel Time Analysis Benefit Your College?
Our Travel Time Analysis consultancy goes beyond simple mapping. We combine travel time data with detailed learner insights to help you:
✔ Assess your market share – Understand your recruitment footprint and how it compares to other local providers.
✔ Evaluate competition – Identify where local travel patterns overlap with competing colleges and compare overall learner volumes in these areas.
✔ Analyse curriculum trends – Explore local learner participation trends and course offerings across priority subject areas to uncover gaps and growth opportunities.
Real-World Impact
Over the past year, we’ve supported several colleges with Travel Time & Competition Analysis, helping them make informed decisions about their marketing and learner recruitment strategies, campus positioning, and curriculum development.
Here are some examples of how our data-driven insights have made a difference:
✔ Defining Campus Branding and Curriculum Offer: A large college group sought to understand learner demand and competition across multiple campuses. Our analysis helped the college define the unique brand and curriculum offer of each campus, ensuring alignment with local learner demand.
✔ Challenging Assumptions and Identifying Gaps: A college believed that transport barriers and increased competition were the main reasons for lower-than-expected enrolments. However, our analysis revealed that these factors were not the primary drivers. Instead, we identified specific subject areas with gaps in provision, offering the college a clear opportunity to expand its offer in line with local demand.
✔ Strategic Planning for Growth: Another college group used our Travel Time & Competition Analysis to support the development of its three-year marketing strategy. By assessing learner travel patterns, market share, and competition, the college identified key growth opportunities, particularly in regional skills priority areas highlighted by the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), ensuring its provision aligned with local economic needs.
Looking for Data-Driven Insights to Inform Your Strategy?
Using our Travel Time & Competition Analysis, colleges have uncovered new growth opportunities, strengthened their local positioning, and improved recruitment.
Could your college benefit too?
Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover how we can help.