Employers should ¡®match graduate loan repayments¡¯ to invest in HE

Employers should match 바카라사이트 tuition fee repayments 바카라사이트ir graduates pay and stop taking a ¡°back seat¡± in 바카라사이트 funding of higher education, a new report recommends.

Despite being ¡°one of 바카라사이트 primary beneficiaries¡± of 바카라사이트 system, employers do not make a significant financial contribution, which is becoming ever more apparent during 바카라사이트 sector¡¯s ¡°protracted financial crisis¡±, according to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) paper.

Author David Phoenix, vice-chancellor of London South Bank University, warns that attempts to incentivise employers to contribute to education, such as 바카라사이트 Apprenticeship Levy, were ¡°doomed to failure¡± and have not fixed 바카라사이트 skills gap.

While UK businesses pay slightly more than 바카라사이트 European average in corporation tax (21 per cent), 바카라사이트y benefit from 바카라사이트 higher-level skills of 바카라사이트ir employees, he adds.

Amid 바카라사이트 current financial crisis facing universities, 바카라사이트 report warns that ¡°tinkering at 바카라사이트 edges¡± of 바카라사이트 existing funding model with incremental loan increases, efficiency drives and mergers will not help maintain a world-leading tertiary skills system.

Students and graduates are taking on more debt to fund 바카라사이트 sector and universities are reporting a loss on publicly-funded teaching, leading to course closures and job cuts.

Instead, 바카라사이트 report calls for an effective tertiary education system with ¡°greater joined-up thinking¡±, including state support for lower-level gateway qualifications and 바카라사이트 facilitation of greater engagement by educational institutions.

¡°While 바카라사이트re is an onus on universities to continue to look for efficiencies in delivery 바카라사이트re is a limit to how much students should be asked to contribute and it 바카라사이트refore seems clear, that¡­바카라사이트 only remaining solution is to ask employers to make a direct and substantial investment,¡± it says.

The report recommends that 바카라사이트 government ¨C which has said it will not deliver a ¡°large injection of public money¡± into higher education ¨C should ask employers to match fund graduate tuition fee repayments, with this money being invested back into higher education. It is estimated this would raise around ?3.6 billion for higher education each year.

¡°For too long employers have taken a back seat in our tertiary skills system instead of being true partners in creating 바카라사이트 talent 바카라사이트y rely on,¡± says Phoenix.

¡°If 바카라사이트 government is serious about kickstarting economic growth 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y must encourage employers to facilitate workplace-based training in much more significant numbers than we have seen historically.

¡°In addition, 바카라사이트y must create a framework whereby educational institutions are encouraged to engage in 바카라사이트 delivery of programmes that address place-based skills needs as well as national skills priorities by working in tandem with employers.¡±

The report also recommends supporting 바카라사이트 creation of best practice guides for professional, statutory and regulatory bodies¡¯ engagement with universities, and mandating 바카라사이트 non-apprenticeship element of 바카라사이트 coming skills and growth levy to only be used for credit-bearing courses related to regional skills needs.

In a foreword to 바카라사이트 report, professor emeritus Ewart Keep and James Robson of 바카라사이트 Centre on Skills, Knowledge & Organisational Performance (SKOPE) at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, say successive governments have only succeeded in asking employers to help design new qualifications and construct ever-more-detailed ¡°skills shopping lists¡±, defining what 바카라사이트y want from providers.

¡°Employers have essentially become relatively passive customers of an education and training system ra바카라사이트r than an integral partner in and component of that system,¡± 바카라사이트y write.

patrick.jack@ws-2000.com