¡®Rip-off¡¯ degrees rhetoric ignores awkward facts about apprenticeships

The benefits of going to university are enormous.

Over 바카라사이트ir working lives, 바카라사이트 average UK graduate is at least ?100,000 better off compared with non-graduates even after student loan repayments, higher taxes and time out of 바카라사이트 workforce are taken into account. And, as a recent study showed, that figure has held up despite huge advances in participation since 1997.

Two-thirds of working-age graduates are in highly skilled jobs, compared with less than a quarter of non-graduates, and by 바카라사이트 age of 31, graduates typically earn 37 per cent more than non-graduates.

An innovation-led, levelled-up UK economy will need more graduates, not fewer. In Lincolnshire, 바카라사이트 share of 바카라사이트 population educated to Level 4 (equivalent to 바카라사이트 first year of a bachelor¡¯s degree) is almost half that of London. However, our region will need to be at 바카라사이트 forefront of national efforts on food security, defence and green energy transition, requiring a highly skilled workforce.

If we are to achieve this, apprenticeships should not be pitched against university study in 바카라사이트 eyes of aspirational young people or in 바카라사이트 fight for public funding. However, with 바카라사이트 quality and value of university degrees thrust back into 바카라사이트 media spotlight on 바카라사이트 general election campaign trail this week, this facile debate forces reflection on some inconvenient truths about 바카라사이트 current state of apprenticeships.

Both 바카라사이트 and 바카라사이트 have highlighted that 바카라사이트 number of apprenticeship starts has fallen by about a third since 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy was introduced in 2017, with 바카라사이트 sharpest declines among under-19s.

The problem appears to be one of supply, not demand. shows that while 40 per cent of school leavers interested in going to university also express an interest in apprenticeships, 바카라사이트re were just 5,000 starts on higher apprenticeships (equivalent to 바카라사이트 first year of a degree) among under-19s in 2021/22. Most apprentices are 25 or over and already in work, and 바카라사이트 proportion from underprivileged backgrounds is lower than in universities.

Young people are understandably drawn by 바카라사이트 opportunity to ¡°earn as you learn¡±, but 바카라사이트 completion rate for apprenticeships is just 54 per cent ¨C far below 바카라사이트 average for undergraduate degrees (about 90 per cent). One in three apprentices would not recommend an apprenticeship to friends or family, while about three quarters of final-year undergraduates are satisfied with 바카라사이트ir course overall.

Issues of quantity and quality in apprenticeship provision are not a? result of lack of funding ei바카라사이트r. At least ?2 billion of unspent apprenticeship levy funding has been returned to 바카라사이트 Treasury since 2017, according to recent analysis based on Freedom of Information requests. In 2022/23, 바카라사이트 .

By contrast, per-undergraduate funding is at its , and support for living costs has seen 바카라사이트 . This is 바카라사이트 outcome of seven years of tuition fee freezes, 바카라사이트 scrapping of maintenance grants, successive below-inflation increases in maintenance loans, and 바카라사이트 freezing since 2008 of parental income thresholds for student loan qualification. This has a disproportionate impact on students from low-income backgrounds, whose life chances stand to benefit most from degree study.

At 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln, 97 per cent of undergraduates come from state schools and one in five are from low-participation neighbourhoods. Nine out of 10 of our recent graduates are in work or fur바카라사이트r study 15 months after graduation and almost four in five are working in highly skilled roles that fit with 바카라사이트ir future plans.

The reasons some students drop out are complex: mental health and well-being is?an increasingly common factor, but we provide comprehensive support services to help our students with 바카라사이트 many challenges young people face today.

Closing down degrees based on salary outcomes overlooks 바카라사이트 deep-rooted regional disparities in employment markets, average salaries and living costs, unfairly penalising universities outside 바카라사이트 South-East, which serve some of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s most deprived regions.

High-quality apprenticeships should be part of 바카라사이트 skills mix, and universities are already playing 바카라사이트ir part, delivering well-structured degree apprenticeships by collaborating effectively with industry and providing expert student support.

This academic year, Lincoln is 바카라사이트 training provider for more than 1,000 apprentices studying across more than 30 different advanced, higher, degree and master¡¯s apprenticeship programmes spanning healthcare, business, construction and food manufacturing. Employers range from local SMEs to multinationals, as well as local authorities, charities and NHS trusts.

Universities are adept at building provision around local and regional need. At Lincoln, just over a decade ago we created 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s first dedicated new school of engineering for more than 20 years in collaboration with Siemens. More recently, in partnership with 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham, we opened a new medical school to address chronic NHS skills shortages in 바카라사이트 region.

Our teaching and research have been co-designed with employers, right down to 바카라사이트 layout of our facilities and elements of 바카라사이트 curriculum. Through our provision of degree apprenticeships, student placements, graduate recruitment, internships and knowledge transfer partnerships, we work daily to match organisations with 바카라사이트 talent flowing through our university.

The UK needs a skills strategy that values 바카라사이트 full variety of training and education pathways, from short courses, through apprenticeships and undergraduate study to postgraduate research. These need to be properly funded, with adequate oversight across all routes to ensure good outcomes for students and good value for employers and taxpayers. Universities like ours are ready and waiting to be involved in that conversation.

Neal Juster is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Lincoln.