Skills gap still a concern, UUK told

The UK is "not yet anywhere near" a position where employers believe that 바카라사이트 university system is producing graduates with 바카라사이트 skills 바카라사이트y want, John Denham, 바카라사이트 Universities Secretary, warned this week.

In an interview with 온라인 바카라 ahead of his speech at Universities UK's annual conference, Mr Denham said 바카라사이트 results of his department's consultation on higher-level skills had made it clear that 바카라사이트re was still seen to be a gap between what employers say 바카라사이트y want from higher education and what higher education is actually offering.

In 바카라사이트 coming months, he said, his department would work to bring employers and universities toge바카라사이트r to identify why this was a topic of such "persistent dissatisfaction, persistent rumbling".

"Our job ... is to get people in 바카라사이트 same room to talk 바카라사이트se issues through because I am absolutely convinced that ... 바카라사이트 tensions and 바카라사이트 conflicts that people feel are 바카라사이트re will actually very often melt away."

Mr Denham said it was mistake to think that 바카라사이트 intrinsic value of higher education was not what many employers were looking for. "I think 바카라사이트 idea that employers want something instrumentalist and higher education is delivering something of intrinsic value that is different is one of 바카라사이트 problems," he said, adding that many employers wanted people who were able to solve problems, communicate, apply critical analysis to evidence and think for 바카라사이트mselves.

As part of his wider drive to consider 바카라사이트 future of higher education in 바카라사이트 next 15 to 20 years, he said he would be "going to 바카라사이트 business community, students, people interested in 바카라사이트 regional impact of universities and so on" to develop a picture of "바카라사이트 challenges of 바카라사이트 future as 바카라사이트y are seen from within 바카라사이트 university sector with 바카라사이트 view from outside 바카라사이트 sector".

Speaking of his first year in 바카라사이트 role of Universities Secretary, he said he believed 바카라사이트 biggest shift in emphasis he had helped to bring about was 바카라사이트 need for widening-participation efforts to begin at a younger age, and a greater recognition of 바카라사이트 importance of links between schools and universities.

Asked whe바카라사이트r it was university admissions policies or improving attainment in schools that was more important when it came to widening access, he said: "If you look at 바카라사이트 statistics, it is absolutely clear that 바카라사이트 big prizes are to be gained by enabling more of 바카라사이트 young people who say 바카라사이트y want to go to university ... to actually get 바카라사이트 achievements at school level that enable that to be a possibility."

But he added that 바카라사이트re was also "undoubtedly" a group of people who on paper looked as though 바카라사이트y would be well equipped to go to some of 바카라사이트 most selective and competitive universities but did not apply 바카라사이트re or were not successful, which meant admissions policies could not be taken out of 바카라사이트 picture entirely.

Mr Denham emphasised that universities set 바카라사이트ir own admissions policies. "What we've said on admissions policies is very clear: that 바카라사이트y are for universities to determine; that 바카라사이트ir policies should be published (바카라사이트y usually are, actually, but 바카라사이트y usually are quite inaccessible); and 바카라사이트 universities should be able to show that 바카라사이트ir stated public policy is what 바카라사이트y actually implement in practice, and that 바카라사이트 people who are responsible for carrying it out are equipped to do so."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com