In a virtual speech hosted today by the Social Market Foundation, Rt. Hon. Gavin Williamson MP, Secretary of State for Education, is calling time on the idea that higher education is somehow better than further education and will tear up the target to send 50% of young people to university. He is saying we should not seek to drive half of young people down a path that, can all too often, end with graduates not having the skills they need to find meaningful work, and instead see FE, apprenticeships and university all as equally valid routes to productive employment.
His pledge comes ahead of the publication of a White Paper this autumn which will set out plans to build a high quality further education system that will provide the skills that individuals, employers and the economy need to grow.
The Rt. Hon. Gavin Williamson MP said: “For decades, we have failed to give further education the investment it deserves. Our universities have an important role to play in our economy, society and culture, but there are limits to what we can achieve by sending ever more people into higher education, which is not always what the individual and nation needs.
“That’s why this autumn I will be publishing a White Paper that will set out our plans to build a world-class, German-style further education system in Britain, and level up skills and opportunities.
“As we emerge from Covid-19, further education will be the key that unlocks this country’s potential and that will help make post-Brexit Britain the triumph we all want. I want everyone to feel the same burning pride for our colleges and the people who study there, in the way we do for our great universities and schools.”
The Education Secretary continued that higher education will continue to play a vital role in our economy, society and culture, but it is clear that more needs to be done to make sure more people can gain the skills they need to get the jobs they want. Thirty-four per cent of graduates end up in non-graduate jobs, productivity is just 4% higher than it was in 2008 and businesses in sectors such as manufacturing and construction report some of the highest skills shortages. There is growing evidence that underlines the need to end the focus on taking qualifications for qualifications sake, stop training people for jobs that don’t exist and start training them for the jobs that do exist and will exist in the future.
Many of the skills that employers are demanding require intermediate or Higher Technical Qualifications – but only 10% of all adults aged 18-65 hold Higher Technical Qualifications as their highest qualification in the UK. That’s compared to around 20% of adults in Germany and as much as 34% in Canada. Five years after completion, the average Higher Technical Apprentice will also earn more than the average graduate.
David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said: "Our current system simply does not support the half of adults who don't get the chance to study at higher levels.
"For too long, we've been fixated on a target set in a different era, by a different leader, when the needs of the country were vastly different.
"The 50% target felt right then and has now been achieved. It's time to move on to a more ambitious target, one which recognises that the world has changed and the needs of the country and of its citizens have changed.”
Phil Chamberlain, Executive Director External Engagement at City Lit said: “We welcome today’s speech by Gavin Williamson MP supporting the vital role universities and colleges have to play as anchor institutions post Covid-19 – and let’s not forget the impact high-quality adult education has on people’s lives – whether it is to enhance future employment opportunities, improve mental wellbeing or develop new skills.
“Adult learning institutions like City Lit will be essential for the recovery of London and communities across the country. Therefore the need for continued investment during these challenges times, to support recovery is essential. ”
