UK universities must offer more degree apprenticeships in science and engineering, the vice-chancellor of the University of Sheffield will argue at the Council for the Defence of British Universities鈥 annual lecture.
Sir Keith Burnett was set to tell members of the council 鈥 set up in 2012 to oppose the marketisation of higher education 鈥 that industry and the UK economy needed 鈥渢he skills of the future鈥, not just research.
鈥淩ecent changes in our universities and polytechnics mean that highest quality vocational routes into education have in many cases withered and died. That has had disastrous consequences for the UK and for real student choice,鈥 he was to say.聽
However, a lack of money was a barrier to offering these courses, Sir Keith believes. 鈥淥ur apprentice training which draws companies to invest in our region is subsidised by other work. We know this training can鈥檛 be done on the cheap. We don鈥檛 do it because of a market. We do it because it is right."聽
探花视频
Degree apprenticeships were launched in March 2015, and the government hopes that universities will work with employers and professional bodies to offer more of them.
Last week the business secretary Sajid Javid said that he thought Russell Group universities had a 鈥渟nobbish鈥 attitude to apprenticeships. They resisted them because they felt they would 鈥渄evalue鈥 their 鈥渂rand鈥, he told MPs.
探花视频
In his speech, due to be made in London on 27 January, Sir Keith was set to attack the idea that the needs of students and society 鈥 such as medical research into conditions such as Alzheimer鈥檚 - could be served by the marketisation of higher education.
Government plans, set out in last year鈥檚 Green Paper, would allow universities to charge different fees depending on how well they do in a proposed teaching excellence framework.
It also proposes the creation of a regulator, the Office for Students, which would promote a student-led market for university courses. 聽
The University of Cambridge recently set out objections to the plans, arguing that the paper could cause 鈥渃onsiderable damage to the sector and its international reputation鈥 and said it was 鈥渙pposed to further steps towards the marketization of higher education implied by increased differentiation of fees鈥.聽
探花视频
Register to continue
Why register?
- Registration is free and only takes a moment
- Once registered, you can read 3 articles a month
- Sign up for our newsletter
Subscribe
Or subscribe for unlimited access to:
- Unlimited access to news, views, insights & reviews
- Digital editions
- Digital access to 罢贬贰鈥檚 university and college rankings analysis
Already registered or a current subscriber?
