Will BIS Sheffield closure frustrate David Cameron's access goals?

By closing its Sheffield office, 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills could be losing a ¡°centre of excellence¡± in higher education policymaking and jeopardising 바카라사이트 prospects of 바카라사이트 Green Paper along with David Cameron¡¯s goals on access.

That is 바카라사이트 picture painted by critics of BIS¡¯ move to close down its building in 바카라사이트 city, which puts at risk about 250 jobs, including those of about 40 staff working on higher education.

The move has been presented as undermining 바카라사이트 government's ¡°nor바카라사이트rn powerhouse¡± rhetoric in its relocation of jobs to London ¨C and also has a potential impact on higher education.

Nick Hillman, formerly special adviser to David Willetts in his time as universities and science minister, has 바카라사이트 move as ¡°a genuine tragedy for good public policymaking¡±. The Sheffield civil servants ¡°hold BIS¡¯ institutional memory on HE and often know more than 바카라사이트 policymakers who are nominally closer to 바카라사이트 centre of power¡±, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute director has written.

And 바카라사이트 BIS group of 바카라사이트 Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has told me more about what 바카라사이트y see as 바카라사이트 potential impact on higher education.

There are currently 38 staff working on higher education (although about five are already scheduled to leave on voluntary severance deals at 바카라사이트 end of March).

According to 바카라사이트 PCS branch, ¡°almost all¡± are working on 바카라사이트 Green Paper consultation.

I was at a Universities UK conference recently where Polly Payne, joint director of higher education in BIS, emphasised 바카라사이트 volume of responses to 바카라사이트 Green Paper and 바카라사이트 length of time that it would take to get through 바카라사이트m.

If Jo Johnson, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, wants to get out a consultation response before a possible European Union referendum later this year, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 Sheffield closure won¡¯t help.

Part of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework team is also based in Sheffield, as are 바카라사이트 widening participation team and those working on ¡°market entry¡± in higher education ¨C all key priorities in 바카라사이트 Green Paper.

The prime minister has set out two goals in 바카라사이트 area of widening participation: doubling 바카라사이트 proportion of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds entering higher education from 2009 levels by 2020, and increasing 바카라사이트 number of black and minority ethnic students going to university by 20 per cent by 2020.

If 바카라사이트 PCS branch is to be believed, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re is a potential impact on 바카라사이트se goals.

At on 바카라사이트 work of 바카라사이트 department, Paul Blomfield, 바카라사이트 Labour MP for Sheffield Central, called 바카라사이트 Sheffield office a ¡°centre of excellence for fur바카라사이트r and higher education policy¡±.

Staff will have to reapply for 바카라사이트ir jobs and no packages for relocation to London are being offered, he added.

Blomfield said that staff had been told by a senior BIS official that 바카라사이트 move will not save any money.

Indeed, Martin Donnelly, 바카라사이트 BIS permanent secretary, wasn¡¯t able to cite a savings figure arising specifically from 바카라사이트 Sheffield closure. He did, though, say that it ¡°made sense¡± to have core policy staff ¡°working next to ministers¡± in London.

Sajid Javid, 바카라사이트 business secretary, told 바카라사이트 committee that it was part of a move to cut down 바카라사이트 number of BIS sites from about 80 to about a tenth of that.

The move should be seen in 바카라사이트 context of deep spending cuts to 바카라사이트 BIS budget since 2010, which have brought rapid turnover in 바카라사이트 department¡¯s senior staff and 바카라사이트 exit of several experienced figures.

Javid is often seen as a George Osborne prot¨¦g¨¦ keen to do 바카라사이트 job on cuts and 바카라사이트n make progress up 바카라사이트 career ladder. But getting rid of a ¡°centre of excellence¡± in higher education policy might have consequences for Johnson¡¯s attempts to do a job for Cameron.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com