Students in this country are spoilt for choice when it comes to world-class universities. Four of the world’s top ten universities are in England and 55 current or recent world leaders were educated at UK universities. We are second only to America as a favoured destination for international students to continue their studies, which is something we should all be really proud of.
The decisions young people make when they leave school can shape the rest of their lives – their friendships, their careers, how much they will earn or where they choose to live. I know this first hand. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t pursued a degree apprenticeship in a car factory straight from school.
This was the best option for me. It taught me what it means to operate in a workplace, about essential parts of industry like global supply chains and just-in-time manufacturing, and how to build relationships. It accelerated me into new roles, surpassing my peers, and enabled me to travel the world during a long international business career.
I want young people up and down the country to have this opportunity too. We must end this scenario where people are told you need to go to university to succeed, with no thought or consideration for why university might be right for the individual or what they should hope to get out of it.
It’s not fair to lead young people onto courses that are unlikely to lead to a good job and in the long run will only make people poorer - whether a student, parent, or taxpayer. We are concerned this is, in some cases, precisely what is happening.
There are still courses on offer that are leaving students saddled with debt, low earnings and faced with poor future job prospects - there are even examples of courses where earnings are less than £18,000 three years after graduation – that’s less than minimum wage for someone over 21.
Eighteen universities and colleges are already being investigated by the universities watchdog, the Office for Students, including a number of business and management courses that simply aren’t giving students the outcomes they deserve from higher education.
So, our government is acting now to stop that. This week the Prime Minister and I announced important new measures to give parents and their children the clarity they crucially need about degree courses in the UK, so they can make the best decisions about their futures.
We will ask the Office for Students to put limits on the courses that aren’t up to scratch. Alongside this, we are asking them for greater scrutiny of the earnings achieved after course completion to ensure our students get the best value for money.
Bearing down on poor quality courses also means addressing the growth of some one-year foundation courses which, evidence suggests, are not in the best interests of their students. Too often they amount to an additional year of debt for the individual because they are an easy source of income for universities. We don’t think this is right. So, we’ve reduced the maximum fees for foundation years in classroom-based subjects, down to £5,760, putting them in line with similar Further Education courses.
Lastly, we are making sure everyone knows about apprenticeships, including degree apprenticeships, T Levels and skills bootcamps, so we’ve created a one-stop-shop so students can see all training opportunities on offer in one place through a new online platform. And all apprenticeships will also be on UCAS from the Autumn so that when young people are thinking about their next steps, they are genuinely presented with all the brilliant opportunities available to them to reach their potential.
The Prime Minister and I know that education is the closest thing we have to a silver bullet. It is right that we strive for the highest standards for all children to pursue their dreams and these reforms are an important step to achieve that.
Twitter: @GillianKeegan
Website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education