Universities UK says educating people of all ages would help to meet economic challenges

Full article below via the link here:

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/aug/06/uk-economy-could-benefit-from-more-going-to-university

Comment on and exerts from the article here:

Ray Brogden, COO of Qualifi Awarding would like to point out Vocationally Related Qualifications, including those at HE levels in addition to those listed below, such as the Qualifi Cyber Security Level 2, 3, 4 and soon to be available L5 enable progression in to jobs where the associated skills are in high demand by employers.

Richard Bingley, CEO of Global Cyber Academy invites potential candidates, delivery partners and employers to visit the GCA website to discover more about the courses and Regulated Qualification Framework qualifications available to those interested in this burgeoning sector:  www.globalcyberacademy.com

The UK economy could benefit from more people of all ages attending university, a report has concluded.

It also suggests the advance of automation, robotics, artificial intelligence and digital technology, as well as the challenges of Brexit and an ageing population, are creating greater demand for those with qualifications above level 4.These include HNC/Ds, foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

The report highlights the need for continual upgrading of skills, lifelong learning, and study of higher education qualifications at all levels.

The percentage of young people from England entering higher education has reached 49%, but there has been a steady decline in part-time and mature student numbers…

Alistair Jarvis, the chief executive of Universities UK, said: “…Educating more people of all ages at university would grow our economy faster, by increasing productivity, competitiveness and innovation.”

High interest rates on student loans should be cut from 6 per cent to 1.5 per cent to prevent middle-earning graduates from paying back more, the House of Lords economic affairs committee said.

The report from the committee argued that the higher education system offers poor value for money to students and the taxpayer, and that funding is “too heavily skewed” towards degrees.

Lord Forsyth of Drumlean, chairman of the committee, said: “The way we expect students to access higher and further education is deeply unfair. We must create a single system, including apprenticeships, that offers more choice and better value for money.”

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the Universities and Colleges Union, said the report should be fed into the government’s post-18 education review, which is being undertaken by Philip Augar.

The tuition fee system for England’s universities is ripping off students and giving taxpayers poor value for money, says a parliamentary committee.

The House of Lords economic affairs committee attacked a “deeply unfair” system of fees and loans.

Committee chairman and former Conservative minister, Lord Forsyth, said they had also been “quite astonished by the complete collapse in part-time education”. Lord Forsyth says that there is no meaningful consumer choice or competition. The report says that the student finance system has failed to recognise the need to improve vocational skills and to help those wanting to re-train. Part-time student numbers have fallen by about 60% over the past decade. “There is clear evidence that what the economy needs is more people with technical and vocational skills. But the way that the funding for fees and maintenance operates makes it pretty well impossible for us to meet that demand,” says Lord Forsyth.

A Department for Education spokesperson said:

Research by The Sutton Trust charity based on data from all students in the UK shows around a quarter of all undergraduates are commuter students.

The cost of going to university further away is identified as one of the main reasons for choosing to be a commuter student.

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “In the modern economy it is often those who are most mobile who are most likely to find success.

“Moving away to university can be an important first step. Moving to London, or other large cities in the UK, can be an ‘escalator’ for social mobility.

In response to the publication of the OfS regulatory framework, David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Assoiation of Colleges, said: 

“The publication of the OfS regulatory framework is an important step in the reform programme this Government is making in HE and I welcome the changes made from the draft on the back of our recommendations. I remain, however, worried about the impact of this on colleges in England which provide high quality and flexible higher education to over 150,000 people.

“College HE is important because it meets the needs of different groups of students, from diverse backgrounds and ages, who are able to study locally and flexibly to fit in with work and other commitments. I know that the OfS is as keen as I am to grow that type of offer across the country; to do that we will need the OfS to share assurance from the ESFA, Ofsted and DfE rather than duplicating the regulatory burden. I am confident that the will to achieve that is there, but we need to work urgently on the details, in the interests of potential students who need a local and flexible solution.”

Ray Brogden, COO of Qualifi concurs with the comments made by Mr Hughes. We at Qualifi have qualifications that allow FE providers to offer L2 to L8 inclusive, Vocationally Related Qualifications that at levels 3 to 6 inclusive are Student Loan Company recognised and subject to eligibility, are Advanced Learner Loanable. Furthermore, as a result of our partnerships with UK Universities, final year Top Up degree and masters are available. By becoming a Qualifi approved centre, providers of education and training can extend their offer to enable their community to access HE in a flexible manner through the use of blended learning approaches to delivery while studying locally.

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/59041300-32b4-4bed-b6c3-ce7d02982105

An interesting and enlightening discussion with thought-provoking contributions from a diverse group of representatives from FE and HE organisations. Alice Barnard of the Edge Foundation provided a great deal of constructive commentary regarding the wider issues facing the sector as well as observations about its future and actions that could and should be considered in seeking to establish an “even playing field” in order to help meet the needs of those accessing as well as providing education and training. Despite the refreshing candour of the discussion, it was concerning that the conversation was all too often a University and FE focussed dialogue. Although there was a reference to the need for more Level 4 and Level 5 qualifications and courses as part of a broad offer including apprenticeships and T-quals, there was a noticeable absence of commentary regarding the existing alternative HE pathways that are Advanced Learner Loan recognised.

Some key points that were made by the participants included:

1. L4 and L5 Technicians and skills being what UK PLC needs.
2. Data and Gap Analysis is needed to show where demand is (in readiness and to respond to the 4th industrial revolution i.e. automation, robotics…. and the associated impact on jobs).
3. Introduction of compressed degrees.
4. The need for flexible HE routes as a means of helping to improve accessibility for disadvantaged learners. There was within the related Q+A, specific reference to part-time study, earn while you learn, distance learning, Stop/Start delivery and modularised HE.
5. The economic imperative associated with the need for a skill and knowledge-based curriculum, not just a knowledge-based / academic HE curriculum.
6. Employers want employees with skills including team building, collaboration, creativity, innovation, numeracy… a component of the service offering we need in order for UK PLC to remain competitive in a global economy.

One statistic quoted, referred to 45% of graduates not entering graduate level employment when they left university. There remain many questions to be asked as to the true value to the often lorded graduate premium, a “premium” which students access through paying £9,250 per year fees for traditional three year undergraduate programmes, a debt that is often unpaid due to the limited earnings of many graduates; a debt that sits on the books of Government, paid for by the taxpayer.

There are cost-effective, flexible. Advanced learner Loan fundable HE qualification available; alternatives to the traditional degree route, namely Qualifi Awarding Organisation Level 4,5,6,7 and 8 Vocationally Related Qualifications with final year honours degree Top Up and Masters options for those seeking a UK University degree.

Please visit the Qualifi website for further information – https://qualifi.net/university-pathways/

Qualifi Awarding Organisation awaits with interest the outcome of the next stage of the Education Committee inquiry into value for money in higher education. With just 35% of respondents believing their HE experience represented “good” or “very good” value for money and the number of students saying their university was “poor” or “very poor” value having almost doubled in five years; 2018 as predicted is set to be a challenging and turbulent time for the HE sector. Wednesday the 21st of September will see the next stage of the inquiry inviting comment from representatives of the sector.

This in addition with yesterday’s announcement (16/09/2018) that Ms May will release details of a tuition fee overhaul on Monday (19/02/18); options being considered include cutting fees to £6,000 and changing interest rate – https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/feb/16/theresa-may-details-tuition-fee-overhaul. Furthermore, in another announcement this week, MPs are to review whether students applying to universities are being offered unconditional places in order to secure their fees. The number of unconditional offers made by universities rose more than 17-fold in five years. http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43069632

Qualifi Awarding Organisation would like to draw the attention to colleagues across the FE and HE sector that there are alternatives to the three years i.e. traditional degree programme. Qualifi provides Advanced Learner Loan approved regulated HE qualifications at levels 4 to 8 inclusive, with a final year, UK University honours degree and masters degree top-up options. There are value for money options available to learners, delivery providers, the taxpayer and government. Please visit the Qualifi website for further information – https://qualifi.net/university-pathways/
Ray Brogden (COO – Qualifi)

Full article here – https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/nov/18/apprenticeships-budget-hammond-skills-shortages-brexit

Extracts below.

Despite the compelling picture painted in this article, Ray Brogden, COO of Qualifi points out that there is an alternative to the traditional three-year full-time degree and often very high debt associated with tuition fees of £9,250 in addition to maintenance loans. In addition to apprenticeships, including advanced, higher and degree levels, Vocationally-Related Qualifications provide another route in to employment, Advanced Learner Loan recognised further and higher education while working, at a fraction of the cost of attending University full-time with flexible study mores, progression routes and options to top up to Honours and Masters Degrees and DBA. Please visit the Qualifi website for additional information, including https://qualifi.net/vocational-pathways/

In the Budget on Wednesday, Chancellor Philip Hammond will be expected to address the problem of skills shortages in Britain, as demands for more investment in schools and training escalate in an economy needing more workers like Ratcliffe. After years of underinvestment in workplace training, and faced with the prospect of firms losing access to migrant labour, the UK needs to bolster its domestic workforce. Companies are increasingly reporting shortages of key skills.

Despite a government push on apprenticeships, few employers have responded. The number of apprentices starting in May, June and July was down by 61% compared with the same time last year, raising doubts over the government’s pledge of 3 million new apprentices by 2020.

Figures from the European Commission’s statistics body, Eurostat, show that British companies invest half as much per worker in vocational training as the EU average and that investment in skills has fallen by 9% in real terms over the past decade.

Developments in technology are also putting a greater emphasis on skills, with 15 million jobs thought to be at risk from automation. And with the productivity of UK employees stubbornly refusing to rise, additional spending on training could boost efficiency levels.

With tuition fees at over £9,000 a year, many young people are put off higher education at a time when the cost of living is rising.

The Confederation of British Industry has made protecting per-pupil funding in schools a key priority in its submission to the chancellor ahead of the budget. Skills, training and the country’s industrial strategy will also be key themes for the group. Director general Carolyn Fairbairn says investing in education and training is the “best economic growth strategy we have”.

In conclusion, Ray Brogden suggests in the absence of employer spending on training, a fall in the number of apprentices being taken on by companies, continued confusion and consternation in relation to the employer levy; might it be a good idea for you to take control of your own continued education (after all you are the customer), reduce the very high debt burden associated with attending University full-time and instead earn while you learn through taking one of the vocationally related higher education qualification routes. There is an alternative to the apprenticeship and the traditional University degree systems.