Universities back call to end technical education gap

Universities UK has responded positively to a new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute calling on universities to reverse the collapse in technical education in England, reports FENews.

The report looks at the need to revive the layers of education that lie between school-leaving exams and university degrees, where employers say they face the biggest skills gaps. Commenting on the report, Christopher Hale, director of policy at Universities UK, said: “The report is right that we need to look at how learners can progress from school through to higher level qualifications and skills. It is vital that this is looked at if we are to meet the future skills challenges we face.”

“Many universities are working to support this and we are seeing a growth in partnerships between higher and further education. These links and progression routes are helping to provide the flexible provision that employers need. We also need to move away from the outdated and unhelpful distinction between technical and academic education. The jobs market is going to change rapidly in the coming years, so we need government policies that encourage people to upskill and promote more flexible ways of learning,” Hale said. The report from the Higher Education Policy Institute, Filling in the Biggest Skills Gap: Increasing learning at Levels 4 and 5, is authored by Professor Dave Phoenix, vice-Chancellor of London South Bank University.
Full report on the FENews site