*3.4. Human Capital and Human Capability*

Human capital theory is relevant to higher education access as it posits that by enabling more people to access higher education and to achieve post-secondary qualifications, we will generate a greater economic contribution and therefore create more opportunities for all.

Melanie Walker [57] has written extensively on the limitations of a human capital approach to education in the South African and UK contexts. She argues that it assumes labour markets are efficient at placing people in work suitable to their skills and that opportunities are shared equally. Walker [57] remarks that developing widening access to higher education is primarily useful in building human capital and is a persuasive and verifiable, market-aligned model, but it offers an impoverished model for education as it does not prioritise well-being, human agency or the transformative potential of education. She concludes that the human capital model is not sufficiently expansive to address social justice, given that what is really at stake in the model is economic growth.

Taking a capability approach, the dimension for measuring equality would be each person's capabilities. Walker [58] advocates that we ask the question "What is each person however able to be and to do?" rather than "What resources do they have?" Policy, Sen argues, should not just aim to increase income and educational qualifications but to increase access to the resources that enable these freedoms [59].

From this perspective, for instance, it may be that some students within schools with low progression rates do not choose higher education because they are "low achievers" or have "low aspirations" but instead they have "different aspirations". The freedom to choose higher education must include the freedom to reject it [60]; however, it is important to consider the context within which decisions are made and whether or not adequate information, guidance and support have been available. The capability approach invites a range of more searching questions about equality than just a focus on desire satisfaction. It is a challenge not just to evaluate resources and inputs, but also to consider whether learners are able to convert resources into capabilities and thereafter potentially into functionings. This section has provided an overview of both of the programs within the CCS and the materials and methods used to compare their impact in Ireland and the UK. It also explained the strengths and purpose of applying a "capability approach" lens to qualitative findings in both programs. The following section elaborates on the outcomes of this capability approach exploration and compares other key outcomes from both programs.
