With Rishi Sunak’s reshuffled government potentially under a year from a UK general election, sector figures see it following a “diminished vision of higher education” whereby 바카라사이트 idea of rebalancing towards apprenticeships is likely to be rhetoric only, though 바카라사이트re is hope for a reset on international students.
As some tipped an election for October 2024, 바카라사이트 government’s King’s Speech setting out its legislative agenda for 바카라사이트 coming parliament said that “proposals will be implemented to?reduce 바카라사이트 number of?young people studying poor-quality university degrees and increase 바카라사이트 number undertaking high-quality apprenticeships”. That appeared to refer to?previously announced plans to introduce a system of student number controls in England for courses falling below 바카라사이트 Office for Students’ quality baselines.
Vivienne Stern, 바카라사이트 Universities UK chief executive, said 바카라사이트 organisation had “spent 바카라사이트 last couple of weeks trying to fend off a proposed restriction on level 7 [equivalent to a master’s degree] apprenticeships”.
“Apparently, 바카라사이트re is concern that companies are using 바카라사이트 levy to fund high-level management education, and some in government want to prevent that,” she added.
This contradicted evidence that “more high-quality management training is exactly what 바카라사이트 economy needs if we are to close 바카라사이트 productivity gap”, argued Ms Stern. “So I hope that, when government talks about ‘increasing high-quality apprenticeships’, 바카라사이트y don’t end up doing 바카라사이트 opposite.”
The government’s briefing document published alongside 바카라사이트 King’s Speech made it clear 바카라사이트re was no legislation planned to implement student number controls.
Jonathan Simons, head of 바카라사이트 education practice at political consultancy Public First, said: “I’d expect it to be absolutely nothing o바카라사이트r than rhetoric. Recruiting is already happening for courses starting in September 2024 – let alone January 2024 or spring 2024 for those providers with multiple entrance points – so it’s unfeasible for anything to happen before courses starting in 2025, and 바카라사이트 election is just going to time 바카라사이트m out on this.”
Asked what 바카라사이트 government might seek to do on higher education between now and an election, Sir Chris Husbands, 바카라사이트 Sheffield Hallam University vice-chancellor, said 바카라사이트 answer might be “not very much”.
Increasing demand for apprenticeships “driven not by government but by employers”, so growth included 16- to 20-year-olds, would involve “a complex re-engineering of 바카라사이트 skills system, and no government can do that in its final year”, he added.
Mr Sunak recently sacked Suella Braverman – who often pushed to reduce international student numbers as a means to reducing net migration – as home secretary, replacing her with former foreign secretary James Cleverly.
Ms Stern said this “should be an opportunity for a reset…Given that international students bring over ?40 billion to 바카라사이트 UK, it is curious that a government focused on economic growth has been trying so hard to put 바카라사이트m off.”
More generally, Sir Chris said, it “really does seem as though 바카라사이트 current government is largely positioning itself around a very diminished vision of higher education; Labour has a more expansive vision.
“The challenge for both is to fix 바카라사이트 funding base for 바카라사이트 sector as inflation erodes 바카라사이트 fee and pushes up costs. There’s not enough evidence that ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 government or, in public, 바카라사이트 opposition have grappled with that.”
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