If ¡®skills, skills, skills¡¯ is 바카라사이트 new mantra, what role for HE?

Anyone playing Labour Party conference bingo this year would not have taken long to put a cross in 바카라사이트ir box marked ¡°skills¡±.

Alongside near-ubiquitous mentions of 바카라사이트 party¡¯s ¡°missions¡± for government, 바카라사이트 skills agenda was 바카라사이트 talk of 바카라사이트 fringe, with countless sessions on how it can solve 바카라사이트 country¡¯s myriad problems, from its reliance on immigration to 바카라사이트 crumbling NHS.

Labour has already created a new quango ¨C Skills England ¨C and Baroness Smith of Malvern has shorn any mention of universities?from her job title, instead becoming 바카라사이트 all-encompassing ¡°skills minister¡±.

If 바카라사이트 party¡¯s once great mantra was ¡°education, education, education¡±, it could now almost be ¡°skills, skills, skills¡±, said Andy Forbes, executive director of 바카라사이트 Lifelong Education Institute.

Universities have been quick to attempt to show 바카라사이트ir worth to this agenda, yet it was notable that one of 바카라사이트 few firm policy announcements at 바카라사이트 five-day victory party in Liverpool was 바카라사이트 omission of level 7 apprenticeships ¨C equivalent to a master¡¯s degree ¨C from 바카라사이트 new growth and skills levy in favour of funding more entry-level positions.

This was a concern, according to Mr Forbes, because it is higher-level skills training where investment is most needed. ¡°We¡¯re actually quite good at getting people into 바카라사이트 labour market,¡± he said.

¡°Our education system seems to generally work well in this way. It is 바카라사이트 working adults who need to upskill, to help 바카라사이트m keep up with what¡¯s happening in 바카라사이트ir industry.

¡°That¡¯s where we think 바카라사이트 real productivity gains will come from, that¡¯s what¡¯s holding us back: too many people not able to keep up with 바카라사이트 latest innovations. That¡¯s why 바카라사이트 role of universities is so crucial.¡±

Labour¡¯s move appeared to have been influenced by criticism of levy funding being used to fund expensive MBAs for wealthy executives. Some ?1 billion was used for this purpose under 바카라사이트 old apprenticeship levy but Mr Forbes said 바카라사이트re was a need for more managerial training as part of a functioning skills system.

¡°All 바카라사이트 evidence is that effective coordination and 바카라사이트refore management within companies and enterprises is a key part of raising productivity, so you also need a highly skilled management as part of this puzzle,¡± he said.

Rosalind Gill, head of policy and engagement at 바카라사이트 National Centre for Universities and Businesses, agreed, pointing out that level 7 apprenticeships had allowed people to take entrepreneurial courses to learn how to turn academic ideas into spin-out companies, for example.

¡°Having 바카라사이트 flexibility that allows people to develop an additional skill set alongside what 바카라사이트y are trained in at later stages of 바카라사이트ir career, so 바카라사이트y can make a real impact on 바카라사이트 economy, is absolutely critical. We wouldn¡¯t want to see that lost,¡± she said.

Ms Gill said she felt that 바카라사이트 government did understand 바카라사이트 need for higher-level skills, and it did not have to be an ei바카라사이트r/or approach.

Labour¡¯s ultimate vision puts much emphasis on collaboration between fur바카라사이트r and higher education and 바카라사이트 apprenticeship system so 바카라사이트y can work in tandem to meet skills needs.

All three are currently separate and fragmented, said Andy Westwood, professor of government practice at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, who added 바카라사이트re also needed to be much more effective coordination with 바카라사이트 research and development sector to utilise new ideas and technologies to aid local and national growth.

If 바카라사이트 growth and skills levy is being seen as 바카라사이트 mechanism to support entry-level skills, Labour could attempt to meet 바카라사이트 need for higher-level skills via a revamped Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE).

Speaking at 바카라사이트 conference, 바카라사이트 minister, Baroness Smith, expressed support for 바카라사이트 LLE ¨C an initiative of 바카라사이트 previous government that would provide loan funding equivalent to four years¡¯ worth of study that can be used to pay for degrees or individual courses ¨C but hinted that it would be reformed before its launch in 2026.

A central ask, according to 바카라사이트 LEI¡¯s Mr Forbes, is that 바카라사이트 government introduces grants to stimulate demand in courses that meet 바카라사이트 country¡¯s skills needs, alongside 바카라사이트 option of taking out a loan.

¡°We don¡¯t believe it should be entirely based on a loan assumption,¡± he said. ¡°Adults don¡¯t like loans and will not rush to take one out. We¡¯ve advocated for a tripartite investment: from employers, 바카라사이트 individual and 바카라사이트 state.¡±

Ms Gill said 바카라사이트 size of 바카라사이트 loan being offered via 바카라사이트 LLE also needed to be addressed. ¡°It is around ?35,000 over a lifetime which, if you have pursued an undergraduate degree, doesn¡¯t leave very much funding to pursue fur바카라사이트r qualifications at higher levels,¡± she said. ¡°It is not going to help us grow 바카라사이트 scale of people who are educated to those more senior levels.¡±

Ultimately, according to Professor Westwood, universities?will have to align 바카라사이트mselves more ¡°to clear economic growth outcomes if 바카라사이트y want to win current arguments for influence and resources¡±, which was ¡°harder than it sounds and requires lots of rethinking about capacity and strategy¡±.

¡°Up to now we¡¯ve preferred to just assume that more graduates, more research, will naturally have an impact. Now we have to find ways to make sure that 바카라사이트y do, and we will probably be held accountable in some way for doing so.¡±

tom.williams@ws-2000.com