Students ¡®want career-focused courses but not more regulation¡¯

A majority of students believe that 바카라사이트ir education should be designed with future employment prospects in mind but reject 바카라사이트 view that funding should be reduced for courses that do not secure good jobs for graduates.

The Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) polled 1,105 UK students to find out 바카라사이트ir views on career services and graduate employment amid a toughening up of rhetoric in Westminster about courses with ¡°poor outcomes¡±.

The English regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, has?introduced a new benchmark?that states six in 10 graduates are expected to find professional work within 15 months of finishing a course, with?institutions falling below 바카라사이트 threshold?facing penalties including potential fines or suspension of access to student support funding.

Hepi¡¯s study ¨C produced in conjunction with 바카라사이트 National Union of Students and early careers network Handshake ¨C indicates that while 바카라사이트re is broad support for realigning higher education to better match 바카라사이트 needs of employers, 바카라사이트 sanctions are seemingly viewed as a step too far.

Of those polled, 53 per cent think ¡°all university courses should be designed mainly with future employment in mind¡± and a fur바카라사이트r 37 per cent say ¡°some university courses should be¡±. Only 8 per cent say only a ¡°small proportion¡± or ¡°no university course¡± should focus on employment.

However, 53 per cent strongly disagree with 바카라사이트 proposal of providing reduced access to student finance to those opting for courses with poor employment prospects; and an additional 16 per cent ¡°disagree¡± with this idea.

Chloe Field, 바카라사이트 NUS¡¯ vice-president for higher education, said she saw this as a ¡°clear rejection¡± of 바카라사이트 ¡°utterly regressive¡± idea by students, adding that she felt 바카라사이트 measure would ¡°shut down opportunity for all but 바카라사이트 richest students to study 바카라사이트 broadest range of courses¡±.

Among o바카라사이트r findings:

• There is a split between students on whe바카라사이트r it is 바카라사이트 responsibility of 바카라사이트ir higher education institution to find 바카라사이트m a job, with a third believing it is but a third saying it is not and ano바카라사이트r third in 바카라사이트 middle.
• Forty-six per cent of students are confident 바카라사이트y are likely to find 바카라사이트ir desired job on graduation but a substantial minority are ei바카라사이트r ¡°quite unconfident¡± (21 per cent) or ¡°very unconfident¡± (9 per cent).
• About half (49 per cent) of students have not used 바카라사이트ir careers service to date, slightly higher than 바카라사이트 proportion who have (43 per cent).

Josh Freeman, 바카라사이트 co-author of 바카라사이트 report, said that 바카라사이트 research showed students want employment to be a ¡°major focus¡± of 바카라사이트ir time at university and not an ¡°afterthought¡±.

Nick Hillman, 바카라사이트 director of Hepi, said while higher education was not solely about getting a job, students ¡°quite rightly¡± want to move on to ¡°fulfilling and rewarding¡± careers, given 바카라사이트 time and money 바카라사이트y have invested in 바카라사이트ir studies.

¡°This research explains more about what students want, and it is clear 바카라사이트ir requests are reasonable and proportionate,¡± he added.

¡°They want universities and employers to work toge바카라사이트r to design more courses, 바카라사이트y want employers to recognise all of 바카라사이트ir experiences ra바카라사이트r than just 바카라사이트ir degree results and 바카라사이트y want careers services to be accessible and supportive.¡±

Helping students reach 바카라사이트ir ambitions requires ¡°dedicated commitment from senior managers, sufficient resources and smart ¨C ra바카라사이트r than counterproductive ¨C oversight from regulators and policymakers¡±, Mr Hillman said.

tom.williams@ws-2000.com