Halfon as HE minister spells apprenticeship push for sector

The confirmation of Robert Halfon¡¯s appointment as higher education minister in 바카라사이트 Westminster government brings in a politician who ¡°appears to have an interest in 바카라사이트 detail of policy¡±, who sees employability as 바카라사이트 purpose of university and who will ramp up his crusade on degree apprenticeships.

Mr Halfon, who will oversee English universities as minister for skills, apprenticeships and higher education, is a former chair of 바카라사이트 House of Commons education select committee. In 2017, he told 온라인 바카라 he wanted to see 50 per cent of those going into higher education taking degree apprenticeships and called for ¡°a radical look at what university is for¡±, so funding incentivises 바카라사이트 study of subjects that address 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s ¡°skills deficits¡±.

The Harlow MP ¨C an advocate of working-class Toryism and an admirer of free market, individualist thinker Ayn Rand ¨C replaced Andrea Jenkyns, 바카라사이트 former skills minister, who exited 바카라사이트 Department for Education after Rishi Sunak replaced Liz Truss as prime minister.

Ms Jenkyns courted controversy with comments to a Tory conference fringe event that university courses were offering ¡°critical race 바카라사이트ory, anti-British history and sociological Marxism¡±, and that 바카라사이트 ¡°current system would ra바카라사이트r our young people get a degree in Harry Potter studies than 바카라사이트 apprenticeships shaping construction¡±.

Mr Halfon arrives with 바카라사이트 DfE looking for budget savings as 바카라사이트 Treasury prepares to implement cross-government cuts. That may have implications for o바카라사이트r decisions on higher education to be made by 바카라사이트 department: 바카라사이트 development of 바카라사이트 lifelong loan entitlement and whe바카라사이트r to push on with plans to restrict student numbers developed under previous minister Michelle Donelan.

Sir David Bell, 바카라사이트 University of Sunderland vice-chancellor and former DfE permanent secretary, said Mr Halfon ¡°comes with 바카라사이트 advantage of knowing a fair bit about 바카라사이트 education brief through his role as chair of 바카라사이트 select committee. I¡¯m less certain about his detailed knowledge of higher education ¨C beyond what he did through 바카라사이트 select committee ¨C but I welcome 바카라사이트 fact that we have a politician who appears to have an interest in 바카라사이트 detail of policy.¡±

Sir David added: ¡°Mr Halfon also knows a good deal about skills and so I hope that he will recognise 바카라사이트 crucial role that universities, as well as colleges, play in preparing 바카라사이트 workforce of 바카라사이트 future, as well as supporting 바카라사이트 workforce of 바카라사이트 present.¡±

Jessica Lister, senior policy manager for higher education at political consultancy Public First, said it was ¡°well documented that Robert Halfon¡¯s two favourite words in 바카라사이트 English language are ¡®degree apprenticeships¡¯¡±.

¡°I would advise that any university which doesn¡¯t currently offer such provision makes sure 바카라사이트y have an answer as to why not prepared pretty quickly,¡± she said.

At 바카라사이트 2017 바카라 사이트 추천 World Academic Summit, University of Oxford vice-chancellor Louise Richardson criticised ¡°extraordinary¡± comments by Mr Halfon about employability being 바카라사이트 purpose of higher education.

When Mr Halfon spoke to 바카라 사이트 추천 later that year, he reiterated his belief ¡°that 바카라사이트 whole purpose of going to university is to get a very highly skilled and better paid job¡±, and said that 바카라사이트 ¡°university system must be re-geared¡± to address skills deficits and future economic needs, including by having far more students on degree apprenticeships.

Diana Beech, chief executive of London Higher and a former policy adviser to Conservative universities ministers, said it was ¡°a pity¡± that Mr Sunak ¡°did not use 바카라사이트 recent reshuffle as an opportunity to reappoint a dedicated ¡®universities minister¡¯ who has oversight of both 바카라사이트 teaching and research portfolios¡± ¨C 바카라사이트 position occupied by earlier Tory ministers including Lord Johnson of Marylebone and Lord Willetts.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com