Promoting flexibility
When commentators discuss growth, they ordinarily make two assumptions, only because UK and global education policy has engineered them as the only options:
- Over 50% of the growing demographic of 14–16-year-olds in the UK will all want to go to university at 18 and do a degree in one go.
- The growing global demographic of 18–25-year-olds will all want to do an in-person degree in one go.
From the way we fund students through the loan process to the current student immigration model, we have scripted the rise in degree level study in the UK for over 25 years. Each assumption we have made has been based on the question “why would you want to study anything other than a degree?”
The coinciding developments of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQ) and the Lifelong Loan entitlement (LLE) have the potential to shake things up, offering students the opportunity to study in a more flexible way. They may also attract more mature students than predicted, supporting re-training and upskilling for students likely to remain local post-study. Working closely with local skills initiatives, small and medium sized higher education providers have been in the business of offering shorter learning options for many years – and these will hopefully be funded through the LLE in the future. Stackable courses allow students to more easily combine work and learning and keep pace as they chart their own paths to employment or a future career. The challenge will be helping students to see the opportunities presented via more flexible study when we have spent a considerable amount of policy effort convincing them it’s not a credible route. IHE members, who have many years’ experience of teaching in this way to support their industries to grow, are left wondering if championing flexible higher education will be a whole government approach, or simply something the Department for Education (DfE) pushes at UK students.
The Journey to a Million is not just about growth, for independent HE providers or the wider sector. It is an opportunity for HE providers, government, local skills initiatives and industry leaders to expand student choice and through this diversity. It will mean taking bold steps outside of our comfort zones: investing in new delivery models, new approaches to subject and specialism, and perhaps most importantly, a new workforce. From the industry professional to the community leader – all have a role to play in teaching and re-skilling the next generation of graduates. For government it means expanding international as well as UK student choice. With government policy to not only fund but support change this can be an environment ripe for new models. We must be brave enough to let go of old stereotypes, bring in new voices, and deliver the education model our domestic and global students need for the 21st century.
iDepartment for Education (February 2022), Higher education policy statement.
iiHEPI (December 2022), Most students oppose the plans in England to reduce access to student loans for those on certain courses – but they do want to see courses more focused on employment.