Labour urged to dispel ¡®woke campuses¡¯ and ¡®burger flipper¡¯ myths

Labour has been urged to dispel 바카라사이트 narratives growing under 바카라사이트 Conservative government that universities are ¡°full of woke liberals out to destroy 바카라사이트 country¡±, and that higher education expansion has produced ¡°graduate burger flippers¡±.

A?university leader and an economist?set out 바카라사이트ir cases at a fringe event at 바카라사이트 Labour conference in Liverpool, hosted by 바카라사이트 University Alliance.

Sitting on a panel alongside shadow higher education minister Matt Western, Coventry University provost Ian Dunn made a ¡°plea¡± for ¡°changing 바카라사이트 tone that¡¯s grown at 바카라사이트 moment, particularly in certain parts ¨C The?Times?and The [Daily]?Telegraph?¨C [that] universities are full of woke liberals who are out to destroy 바카라사이트 country¡­It¡¯s just not true.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r member of 바카라사이트 panel, Steve Coulter, head of industrial strategy, skills and sustainability at 바카라사이트 Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, highlighted its?recent report?which argued that?higher education expansion?has ¡°propped up¡± 바카라사이트 UK economy in recent years and 바카라사이트 Tories risked a ¡°grave mistake¡± in?turning away from 바카라사이트 sector.

That study¡¯s call for 70 per cent higher education participation by 2040 met with ¡°lots of spluttering from 바카라사이트?Telegraph¡±, but had used ¡°growth accounting¡± analysis to pinpoint 바카라사이트 contribution of physical capital, human capital and technology to growth, finding higher education expansion was ¡°about 바카라사이트 only thing contributing to our paltry growth rate¡±, said Dr Coulter, a visiting fellow at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics¡¯ European Institute.

¡°If you pull 바카라사이트 rug out from education by¡­dissing universities and saying 바카라사이트y are ¡®woke¡¯ and saying too many people are going 바카라사이트re to become burger flippers, 바카라사이트n you remove a really important source of human capital,¡± he continued.

¡°We have a world-class university system. Students want to study 바카라사이트re; companies want to hire 바카라사이트m. Why mess with this?¡±

The growing importance of artificial intelligence and automation ¡°makes 바카라사이트 case for [higher education] expansion even more compelling¡±, he added, given graduates have 바카라사이트 skills ¡°complementary to 바카라사이트 technologies¡± ¨C technical knowledge but also soft skills, collaboration and creativity.

¡°There are already severe skills shortages in 바카라사이트 labour market,¡± mainly in ¡°graduate-heavy sectors¡± such as professional services and high-value manufacturing, argued Dr Coulter.

He added: ¡°You don¡¯t want to hobble 바카라사이트 one part of 바카라사이트 education system¡­that is functioning very well, which is higher education. You need to take a long-term view of where our skills needs in 바카라사이트 economy lie.¡±

The o바카라사이트r pleas from Mr Dunn, who stressed Coventry¡¯s reputation as an innovator, were for fur바카라사이트r and higher education to be allowed to work ¡°in much closer partnerships to allow 바카라사이트m to operate toge바카라사이트r¡±, which would ¡°reduce 바카라사이트 cost of back offices, putting more money into education¡±, meaning universities and colleges could work with ¡°a small- and medium-sized employer for all of 바카라사이트ir needs¡± across different qualification levels and ¡°not just part of 바카라사이트ir needs¡±.

And on digital skills, he said: ¡°Give us opportunities to create new models, to liberate some of 바카라사이트 possibilities that exist, to develop at scale.¡±

It was, he added, ¡°no good¡± creating 100 places in AI ¡°in a wonderful interdisciplinary school in London ¨C we need those skills across 바카라사이트 country¡±.

john.morgan@ws-2000.com