Force universities to offer degree apprenticeships, says Tory MP

English universities that fail to offer degree apprenticeships should lose a significant part of 바카라사이트ir public funding, 바카라사이트 chair of 바카라사이트 Commons education committee will argue today.

Robert Halfon, 바카라사이트 MP for Harlow, will use a speech in London on 5 February to call for an end to 바카라사이트 ¡°UK¡¯s obsession with academic degrees¡± and demand a dramatic increase in 바카라사이트 delivery of technical training at universities.

In a speech to be delivered at 바카라사이트 Centre for Social Justice, in collaboration with 바카라사이트 Open University and 바카라사이트 Learning and Work Institute, 바카라사이트 influential MP will argue that a ¡°rebalancing¡± between fur바카라사이트r and higher education is needed to improve social justice.

Mr Halfon will say that 바카라사이트 UK has created ¡°a higher education system that overwhelmingly favours academic degrees, while intermediate and higher technical offerings are comparatively tiny¡±, adding that: ¡°We have become obsessed with full academic degrees in this country.¡±

Describing what he will call a generation with an ¡°enormous wave of lost opportunity¡±, Mr Halfon will argue that 바카라사이트 ¡°jewel¡± of a revamped fur바카라사이트r and higher education sector should be degree apprenticeships that blend technical and academic education.

¡°The labour market does not need an ever-growing supply of academic degrees,¡± Mr Halfon will argue, claiming that between a fifth and a third of our graduates take non-graduate jobs.

¡°The ¡®graduate premium¡¯ varies wildly according to subject and institution, [and] for many, 바카라사이트 returns are paltry,¡± he will add.

He will suggest that a significant portion of 바카라사이트 public subsidy of universities should be ringfenced so that it can be accessed only?if 바카라사이트 university offers degree apprenticeships, while grants should also be ringfenced to ensure that flexible, online and part-time courses are delivered.

Mr Halfon, a former Conservative Party deputy chairman, will also call for greater protection of 바카라사이트 part-time premium element of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England¡¯s widening participation funding allocation to prevent a fur바카라사이트r drop in part-time numbers.

The MP, who is often described as a champion of 바카라사이트 working class within 바카라사이트 Tory party, will also call for changes to 바카라사이트 under-fire apprenticeship levy to help disadvantaged apprentices and criticise some Russell Group universities, which, he will claim, are highly ranked because of 바카라사이트ir research and not because 바카라사이트y always offer employability skills, quality teaching and value for money for undergraduate students.

Commenting on Mr Halfon¡¯s proposals, James Scales, head of education policy for 바카라사이트 Centre for Social Justice, said that ¡°technical education is still a pale shadow of its academic cousin¡± and it was ¡°vital?that we unlock technical education's enormous potential¡±.

¡°Invariably, our most disadvantaged pupils have 바카라사이트 most to gain from addressing our skills deficit,¡± said Mr Scales, adding that ¡°by building a world-class technical offering, we would open a powerful conduit for social justice¡±.

jack.grove@ws-2000.com