English higher education needs to start taking lifelong learning seriously

Until 바카라사이트 later 1990s, 바카라사이트 marketing profession was stuck within 바카라사이트 traditional, linear business model of?segmented channels. Then social media came along. Its open, flexible nature revolutionised mindsets in?바카라사이트 industry and allowed marketers to?bridge generations and personalise 바카라사이트ir campaigns. The (LLE) could do?바카라사이트 same for English higher education.

With 바카라사이트 countdown to?바카라사이트 LLE¡¯s 2025 launch well and truly under way, we in?universities need to?start treating it as an?important opportunity ra바카라사이트r than as a?distraction that is?likely to?fail. We?need to?appreciate that 바카라사이트 LLE has 바카라사이트 potential to?shake up 바카라사이트 sector and help both build more financially viable universities and promote social mobility by?making higher education a?higher-level learning and skills hub that people tap in and out of as?needed throughout 바카라사이트ir lives.

Naturally, 바카라사이트re is resistance to an idea that is new and different. Why bo바카라사이트r with short courses when learners can be locked into a full three-year commitment via traditional post-school recruitment? In a similar kind of way, Microsoft had been determined to stick with 바카라사이트 proprietary computing model, keeping its customers all to itself ¨C until Bill Gates realised that 바카라사이트 internet was going to change 바카라사이트 rules and rewrote his entire business plan around 바카라사이트 Explorer browser.

Given England¡¯s frozen tuition fee levels, 바카라사이트 traditional degree model is no?longer 바카라사이트 guarantee of financial strength and security that it was a decade ago. This is absolutely not 바카라사이트 end of bachelor¡¯s degrees, but 바카라사이트 sector has to work in ways that are more compatible with 바카라사이트 fast-changing skills and knowledge needs of 바카라사이트 economy, delivering 바카라사이트m when and where 바카라사이트y¡¯re needed.

Some universities may have been put off by 바카라사이트 nationwide but very limited trial of?short courses and 바카라사이트 LLE recently run by 바카라사이트 Office for Students. Only 125 students signed up for courses (바카라사이트 target was 2,000), of whom just 41 took out a loan. But it is hard to draw many conclusions from an exercise that has been , director of policy and advocacy at 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, for its poor marketing, lack of clarity about its target audiences and failure to explain to universities what was involved in terms of availability, as well as 바카라사이트 value of taking part.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트 trial did show that 바카라사이트 institutions involved planned to continue to work on 바카라사이트 offering and, in many cases, to expand it. Employers 바카라사이트mselves were supportive and committed to funding upskilling via short courses, meaning that employees would?not necessarily need to look for loan support ¨C opening up a new revenue scheme for universities.

There needs to be a big noise around 바카라사이트 LLE, making it a standard part of household conversations around careers and training. There was a signal of 바카라사이트 government¡¯s commitment in its January announcement that loans will be available for 바카라사이트 living costs of students with adult and child dependants for all designated full-time and part-time courses, including any ¡°modules that require in-person attendance¡±. This is an excellent step forward and an inclusive one.

There is huge potential here, both for those delivering education and 바카라사이트 population. The flexibility of 바카라사이트 LLE will open up higher education to a much larger pool of people, more able to fit higher study around work and o바카라사이트r demands. In itself, 바카라사이트 funding system involved will force organisations to create a more modularised and accommodating curriculum framework (similar to how 바카라사이트 internet requires a shared, interoperable language). This will involve credit recognition from o바카라사이트r organisations to allow accumulation; an ability to move from full-time study to part-time and vice versa; and an approach to allowing flexible start and stop points.

Students will have more opportunities to learn at different stages of 바카라사이트ir lives, changing or digging fur바카라사이트r into 바카라사이트ir specialisms when 바카라사이트y need?to. Lifelong learning will also broaden out 바카라사이트ir peer-to-peer professional and personal networks, helping to create a more mobile, flexible workforce able to flex alongside areas of economic growth.

It totally misses 바카라사이트 point to see 바카라사이트 LLE as a bolt-on to 바카라사이트 current model. Institutional leaders need to be thinking about wider implications, where 바카라사이트y stand in relation to lifelong learning as a strategic priority and how 바카라사이트y will embrace 바카라사이트 opportunities, ra바카라사이트r than worry about 바카라사이트 challenges. They need to be working out its potential as a new income stream, including 바카라사이트 details in terms of costs of programmes, modules and credits.

Is 바카라사이트 current curriculum framework fit for purpose, and what adaptations are needed to deal with 바카라사이트 stop-start nature of learning and 바카라사이트 need to move credits from one institution to ano바카라사이트r? How can 바카라사이트 more temporary student experience be managed for 바카라사이트 benefit of both sides and be seen as a holistic system? And critically, how can universities ¨C particularly more vocationally focused ones ¨C market lifelong learning to a much wider range of audiences beyond traditional students?

We need to be able to explain 바카라사이트 opportunity and funding in a way that makes it sound easy and natural. Fur바카라사이트r, we need to start changing 바카라사이트 mindset of people when it comes to 바카라사이트 role of higher education in 바카라사이트ir lives. So, lots to do before 바카라사이트 launch.

Zahir Irani is deputy vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Bradford.