HEFCE welcomes CBI report on employer-university links

2 Oct 2009

HEFCE has welcomed the CBI Higher Education Task Force report recommending a stronger relationship between higher education and business.

Sir Alan Langlands, Chief Executive of HEFCE, said:

"We welcome the CBI Higher Education Task Force report. It recognises the world class status and diversity of higher education and the essential role of universities in ensuring that the country has the knowledge and skills for long-term success. It also sets out some clear challenges for Government, higher education and businesses moving forward.

HEFCE  will continue to support enduring education, innovation and research partnerships between universities and colleges and business. It will also continue to promote study in science, technology, engineering and mathematics – boosting demand and provision to meet the needs of employers and new industries.

We will work closely with universities and the business community to act on the insights and recommendations of the CBI report. While supporting the main tenets of the report we do not wish to pre-empt the fees review, participation targets and other aspects of the student finance debate. These matters fall outside our direct area of responsibility."

The CBI report's report itself, Stronger together: Businesses and universities in turbulent time, which was written by a group including the Vice-Chancellors of Coventry and Bath Universities and the Principal of King's College London, makes recommendations in four major areas:

1. To help raise the numbers and quality of graduates in science, technology, engineering and maths as well as improving numeracy of all graduates, all young people should be expected to continue some form of maths or numeracy education after the age of 16, dependent on their interests and abilities. The brightest 14 year-olds should be encouraged to take triple science at GCSE or Standard Grade in Scotland
2. To ensure all graduates have employability skills, all businesses should provide work experience, internship and live project opportunities for school and university students
3. To provide the support required to maintain the quality of teaching and research in HE, tough choices are required. Savings to make this possible can be made by providing tuition fee loans at the government’s cost of capital and removing the interest rate subsidy on all loans; and by refocusing student support through maintenance grants, with support concentrated on those most in need. Because public sector finances are constrained, student contributions will have to increase
4. Government should encourage greater diversity in the sector by allowing universities more freedom to develop innovative new eaching models that meet business and student needs, and by permitting a greater degree of competition between universities