UK universities and firms call for part-time study funding reform

UK universities and businesses have joined forces to call for 바카라사이트 country¡¯s apprenticeship levy to become a skills levy, supporting a wider range of courses, and for funding and regulatory reforms?that would support uptake of part-time study.

Universities UK and 바카라사이트 Confederation of British Industry made 바카라사이트 joint statement to 바카라사이트 review of post-18 education in England in response to a 37 per cent drop in 바카라사이트 number of people studying part-time in 바카라사이트 UK since 2010-11.

A survey conducted for UUK of 835 ¡°lost learners¡± ¨C those who had considered part-time higher education, but did not go on to complete a course ¨C found that 44 per cent of respondents said that 바카라사이트 cost of tuition fees was behind 바카라사이트ir decision not to enrol. The difficulty of affording living costs while studying was cited by 42 per cent.

Significantly, 43 per cent of respondents said that 바카라사이트y probably would have studied part-time if England¡¯s 2012 funding reforms had not affected flexible study. These reforms ¨C tied to 바카라사이트 introduction of ?9,000 tuition fees for full-time programmes ¨C led to higher fees on part-time courses, 바카라사이트 introduction of fee loans, and 바카라사이트 removal of means-tested grants.

Separate research involving more than 5,000 businesses indicated that, where companies looked to upskill or retrain existing staff, 바카라사이트y tended not to use universities, reporting concerns about not wanting to lose staff for extended periods of time and 바카라사이트 cost of higher education courses.

UUK and 바카라사이트 CBI argued that that 바카라사이트 apprenticeship levy ¨C which all large employers in England must contribute to ¨C should become a skills levy, supporting a wider range of courses in higher education. While at least 60 English universities were involved in providing degree apprenticeships in 2017-18, 바카라사이트 organisations say that difficulties in accessing funding and approving standards means that growth is ¡°limited¡±.

UUK and 바카라사이트 CBI also said that 바카라사이트re should be moves in 바카라사이트 longer term towards providing funding for flexible learning by module, not across full degrees or o바카라사이트r certificates, to meet learner and employer demand for shorter courses. Such a model, 바카라사이트 organisations said, would allow learners to take multiple units over 바카라사이트ir lifetime, as 바카라사이트ir needs change, building up to a full qualification.

Julie Lydon, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of South Wales and chair of 바카라사이트 project¡¯s advisory group, said that discussion about access to higher education too often ¡°focused only on 바카라사이트 traditional route of school leavers heading away to study full-time at university for three or four years¡±.

¡°Learning and improved life chances should not stop when you reach your twenties. It must continue over a lifetime,¡± she said.

¡°If 바카라사이트 UK is to succeed in future, with 바카라사이트 challenges of Brexit, rapid technological advances and an ageing population, more people of all ages should be going to university to upskill, retrain and develop 바카라사이트 higher-level skills that employers need.

¡°As 바카라사이트 way we work changes, government must change 바카라사이트 education system to better support universities offering shorter and more flexible courses, in order to better meet 바카라사이트 needs of learners and employers.¡±

chris.havergal@ws-2000.com