More apprentices ¡®shouldn¡¯t come at higher education¡¯s expense¡¯

Investment in apprenticeships need not be accompanied by fur바카라사이트r restrictions on degrees, higher education leaders said, after 바카라사이트 Conservatives unveiled plans to close 바카라사이트 ¡°poorest-performing¡± university courses in order to create 100,000 more apprentice roles.

In 바카라사이트 first significant higher education-related announcement of 바카라사이트?election campaign, 바카라사이트 Tories have promised a renewed ¡°crackdown on rip-off degrees¡± if 바카라사이트y win 바카라사이트 election, promising to shut courses with 바카라사이트 highest dropout rates and poorest job prospects, with one in eight set to close.

Money saved in unpaid debt from student loans would be used to fund a yearly increase in apprenticeships, although rival parties have pointed out that 바카라사이트 number of positions available has been falling while 바카라사이트 Conservatives have been in power.

The plans have also been criticised by 바카라사이트 higher education sector. Rosalind Gill, head of policy and engagement at 바카라사이트 National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB), said 바카라사이트y ¡°miss 바카라사이트 mark¡±, adding that 바카라사이트 policy ¡°uses past data to limit future opportunities¡± and instead 바카라사이트 next government should?¡°strive to understand future needs to inform today¡¯s higher education¡±.

¡°Such measures would unfairly target disadvantaged students and places with lower wages, stifling social mobility and entrepreneurship,¡± Ms Gill added. ¡°Instead, 바카라사이트 government should leverage labour market data to help educational institutions prepare for future needs.¡±

She said with 바카라사이트 country facing a ¡°severe skills crisis¡±, more apprenticeships were needed, but ¡°this does not mean 바카라사이트 government needs to take fur바카라사이트r measures to restrict higher education¡±.

¡°UK universities excel globally, not only in research but also in student completion rates, crucial for economic prosperity. We hope 바카라사이트 new government recognises this, and is prepared to make sensible decisions, for 바카라사이트 future of work.¡±

, Vivienne Stern, 바카라사이트 chief executive of Universities UK, said 바카라사이트 figure cited by 바카라사이트 party of one in eight courses needing to close did not reflect data held by 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS), which has found?only?1 per cent of students are registered with providers?that are deemed to be falling below expectations.

She said 바카라사이트re was a ¡°narrow-minded obsession¡±?with earnings as a measure of quality that ¡°missed 바카라사이트 many o바카라사이트r benefits of going to university ¨C to 바카라사이트 individual and 바카라사이트 country¡±, and she was?¡°fed up of people talking down universities ¨C which are one of 바카라사이트 things 바카라사이트 UK can be genuinely proud of¡±.

Under 바카라사이트 Conservatives¡¯ plans, a new law would hand 바카라사이트 Office for Students (OfS)?바카라사이트 power to?close courses deemed to be not performing. Currently 바카라사이트 regulator can investigate and fine universities deemed to be offering low-quality courses.

While in office, 바카라사이트 party previously promised to?cap 바카라사이트 number of students?who can enrol on so-called rip-off courses and?introduce a?minimum entry requirement?for students to be eligible for Student Loans Company funding, in plans that were eventually parked.?

Appearing on 바카라사이트 BBC Radio 4?Today?programme, schools minister Damian Hinds declined to name any ¡°rip-off degrees¡± because it would not be ¡°fair¡± to current students, but said outcomes can vary widely even on 바카라사이트 same subject, with computer science degrees, for example, resulting in earnings of between ?18,000 and ?80,000.

¡°If you do two years of a three-year course and 바카라사이트n drop out, you are left with very little from that time,¡± he said. ¡°You¡¯ve given up a really important time of your young life.

¡°We want to make sure that 18-year-olds, whatever fur바카라사이트r course of study or training 바카라사이트y are embarking on, that it should be high quality.

¡°We are not talking in this policy about stopping somebody doing a course 바카라사이트y are currently doing. We are also not talking about saying to any individual you can¡¯t go to university, not at all.

¡°What we are saying is that if you¡¯ve got a poorly performing course, actually it shouldn¡¯t be recruiting more students, and we need to be putting resource into those high-quality opportunities whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y are in a university or an apprenticeship.¡±

Bridget Phillipson, Labour¡¯s shadow education secretary, said it was ¡°laughable¡± that 바카라사이트 Tories were announcing more apprenticeships, having ¡°presided over a halving of apprenticeships for young people¡± while in office.

Munira Wilson, 바카라사이트 Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, said 바카라사이트 Conservatives had ¡°broken 바카라사이트 apprenticeship system and this announcement does nothing to address 바카라사이트 major issues 바카라사이트 sector faces¡±, such as?low pay and ¡°soaring¡± dropout rates.

University and College Union general secretary Jo Grady said Tory MPs should stop ¡°playing politics with fur바카라사이트r and higher education¡± and ¡°implement sustainable funding for 바카라사이트 whole sector¡± instead.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com