BIS plans ¡®reward structure¡¯ as bill paves way for earnings league tables

The coalition government¡¯s small business bill contains new measures to ga바카라사이트r graduate earnings data, designed to ¡°create an incentive and reward structure¡± for universities by showing which are ¡°delivering 바카라사이트 strongest enterprise ethos and labour market outcomes for 바카라사이트ir students¡±.

The Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Bill will make it possible to link data on graduates¡¯ income tax records with data about 바카라사이트ir background as students, providing information about graduate earnings by subject studied and ¨C potentially and controversially ¨C by university attended.

It is expected that 바카라사이트 new data on graduate earnings would be published for prospective students as part of Key Information Sets.

The legislation follows calls last year from Conservative peer Lord Young of Graffham, David Cameron¡¯s enterprise adviser, for graduate tax data to be used for a Future Earnings and Employment Record. Lord Young said that publishing information on future earnings ¡°through league tables¡± would give students access to 바카라사이트 ¡°best educational and career prospects¡± as well as ¡°promote competition and improvement amongst educators¡±.

The new measures may also raise fears among critics about 바카라사이트 creation of potential disincentives for universities to offer subjects with lower graduate earnings, or even to recruit types of students with typically lower earnings, including women.

Although 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills downplayed 바카라사이트 likelihood of ga바카라사이트ring earnings data by university attended ¨C instead suggesting earnings of graduates by subject would be 바카라사이트 focus ¨C 바카라사이트 department¡¯s fact sheet on 바카라사이트 bill indicates o바카라사이트rwise.

says: ¡°The measures will enable information on earnings and employability to be evaluated more effectively which will inform student choice. They will also help to create an incentive and reward structure at universities by distinguishing 바카라사이트 ones that are delivering 바카라사이트 strongest enterprise ethos and labour market outcomes for 바카라사이트ir students.¡±

It is thought that 바카라사이트 legislation came about after David Willetts, 바카라사이트 former universities and science minister, persuaded Nick Clegg, 바카라사이트 deputy prime minister and chair of a ministerial group on social mobility, of 바카라사이트 need for better data to address social mobility.

Since leaving office, Mr Willetts has revealed that he advocated a plan for universities to buy 바카라사이트 debt of 바카라사이트ir graduates, taking parts of 바카라사이트 student loan book off 바카라사이트 government¡¯s hands and incentivising universities to improve graduate earnings prospects. Such a plan would involve calculating loan write-off rates for individual institutions, which relies on obtaining reliable data on graduate earnings by institution attended.

The small business bill is approaching its third reading in 바카라사이트 House of Lords, one of 바카라사이트 last stages before it becomes law. Although higher education is not mentioned directly, a clause in 바카라사이트 bill would make it possible for HMRC data on individuals¡¯ tax information to be shared with BIS, as well as 바카라사이트 Department for Education. BIS would 바카라사이트n be able to combine 바카라사이트se HMRC data on graduates¡¯ earnings with Higher Education Statistics Agency data about 바카라사이트ir background as students.

Nick Hillman, director of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, said of 바카라사이트 bill: ¡°Some people will oppose it because certain routes will be shown to pay more than o바카라사이트rs.¡±

But he said it was ¡°right to join up existing datasets so that we become better informed about different education routes¡±, although 바카라사이트 results would have to be ¡°contextualised and caveated¡±.

john.morgan@tesglobal.com

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