A response from Higher Education Wales to the Learning and Skills (Wales) Measure

(Saesneg yn unig)

About Higher Education Wales (HEW)

HEW represents the interests of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Wales and is a National Council of Universities UK. HEW’s Governing Council consists of the Vice-Chancellors and Principals of all the HEIs in Wales. HEW provides an expert resource on all aspects of Welsh higher education.

Universities in Wales represent a fast growing sector of the economy contributing an increasing share of the national economy. For every £1 million invested in HE by the National Assembly in 2005/06 universities contributed £5.3 million to the Welsh economy¹. In 2006/07, the HE sector in Wales:

had a turnover of over £1 billion.
generated a £2 billion output to the Welsh economy including direct multiplier effects.
gained export earnings for Wales of £170 million, including £65 million from EU/overseas research grants and £104 million in fees and 'knock-on’ expenditure from international students.
earned £121 million in total research grants for Wales and over £205 million from contracts and other income streams.

Introduction

1. HEW welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Assembly Government’s revised proposals in the Learning and Skills (Wales) Measure. We believe that if Wales is to gain a comparative advantage in order to compete in the global economy, the current arrangements for 14-19 year olds must be improved and enhanced.

2. If Wales is to succeed in transforming the skills of our labour force to fit the changing nature of the global economy, there has to be a strengthening of the vision and drive to encourage our potential HE students to continue on to higher education. HEW emphasises the critical importance of high level skills in enhancing productivity and prosperity in the Welsh economy - for both individuals and communities. Students could well be lost to HE if the Assembly Government does not get the 14-19 agenda right.

3. HEW is convinced that the policy 'evidence base’ demonstrates that increased high level skills is the key to developing a high value knowledge-based economy. A growing economy founded on innovation and creativity is the only route to success in a globalised world, as much of the economic literature and the framework behind the Lisbon Agenda suggests².

Collaboration

4. There must be an underlying presumption that all learners have at least the potential at any age, to progress all the way through the skills chain to high level skills. Learners in the 14-19 phase need to be provided with a strong foundation that prepares them for adult and working life. At present too many young people are not fully engaged in their learning experiences. This includes some learners who currently perform well within the existing system. If we are to facilitate the aim of increasing the number of young people ready for high skilled employment or higher education, there has to be a further strengthening of cooperation and collaboration between further education colleges and work based learning providers.

5. HEW is encouraged to see that the Measure has been extended to include more formal collaboration arrangements, thus placing a duty on local education authorities and governing bodies of maintained schools and Further Education Institutions (FEIs) to consider cooperation in relation to maximising the availability of courses of study. The placing of a duty on Local Education Authorities (LEAs), the governing bodies of schools and FEIs, to consider co-operation has not proved sufficient in some areas. Voluntary networks of this nature have sometimes failed to provide local curricula of sufficient quality or choice. The Beecham Report and the Independent Review of the Mission and Purpose of Further Education in Wales chaired by Sir Adrian Webb (the Webb Review) highlighted the need for partnership working and for citizen-centred services, where the user/citizen is engaged in the process of service design. With this in mind, HEW supports a strategic approach and structures that will promote co-operation and collaboration.

6. With collaboration brings a greater degree of choice for the learner - collaboration should increase both the number and variety of courses on offer. Young people must be encouraged to have a role in choosing the courses for them, to feel ownership of the learning pathway in a way that fits their aspirations.

FE and HE - A Good Example of Collaboration

7. Universities cooperate closely with FEIs to smooth progression into high level skill qualifications. This joint working is increasing year-on-year with over 240 NVQ level 4 courses in 113 qualification areas successfully being delivered in partnerships between universities and FEIs across Wales - often through flexible franchised arrangements. Ten universities are in involved this HE/FE partnership provision which led to 6,500 student enrolments in 2005/06.

8. This HE in FE franchising model allows Foundation Degrees and other HE qualifications to be fully quality assured³ and possess the 'gold standard’ of a university imprimatur. This flexible model of HE/FE collaboration fits closely with the Assembly Government’s longstanding public services paradigm of collaboration rather than competition, as outlined in the Beecham Review and the Making the Connections agenda. The Webb Report noted these points and accurately described successful HE/FE partnerships as exemplifying "a shared mission for the delivery of higher education in further education, progression routes for learners, provision carrying the HE brand and offering learners membership of the university’s student population, and the management of quality by the HEI.⁴”

9 The close working between HE and FE puts the learner at the heart of their own experience - the needs of the learner, and not the institution, must be the driver within the developing 14-19 system. Increased learner choice can only be achieved if the funding methodology and governance arrangements are reformed. HEW’s understanding is that the current funding methodology can sometimes encourage competition between providers and not collaboration - something that might ultimately reduce learner choice.

Quality

10 Maintaining academic quality and standards is crucial to the reputation of UK higher education, which is widely regarded as among the best in the world. It is essential that students, who invest time and money in their education, can have confidence that these standards and high quality are safeguarded. Students have a key interest in the safeguarding of academic standards and in the continuous improvement of quality management. Students are active participants in their own education and therefore can and should be directly involved in the higher education sector’s approaches to quality assurance and enhancement. HEW believes that this can be replicated to a greater or lesser degree in FEIs. There should be a strategy to help FEIs to improve their quality in relation to the learner experience. Students should be incorporated as essential partners in improving the quality of education and training provision.

Conclusion

11. Access to a university education has always been an important springboard to better living standards in Wales for individuals and families. For many people in Wales a degree has helped to advance their careers, broaden their horizons and raise their aspirations. HEW believes that the expansion of higher learning is one the most important ways in which social mobility can be advanced. This will be crucial as a countervailing force against the negative effects of globalisation which can lead to unemployment or employment in a diminishing pool of lower paid, low prospect jobs.

12. With this in mind, HEW believes that the further development of the 14-19 agenda is crucial. We recognise the need to move forward on this agenda and we therefore broadly support the provisions set out in this important Measure.

Footers

¹ Other than turnover figures the statistics in this section relate to 2005/06. The HEW evidence to the Assembly’s Enterprise & Learning Committee’s Inquiry into the Economic Contribution of HE provides more details on these impacts: http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-committees/bus-committees-third-els-home/bus-committees-third-els-agendas.htm?act=dis&id=66756&ds=11/2007.

² For a summary of the contribution of HE and high level skills to innovation and growth see the Bruegel Briefs: Aghion, P. & Sapir, A, 'A Primer on Innovation & Growth’ (Oct 2006) http://www.bruegel.org/Public/Publication_detail.php?parentCatID=12&publicationID=1265

and; Aghion, P. & Sapir, A (et al.) 'Why reform Europe’s Universities?’ (Sept 2007) http://www.bruegel.org/Public/Publication_detail.php?ID=1169&publicationID=4618

³ The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, the internationally recognised quality body for UK HE, currently quality assures Foundation Degrees delivered in FE.

⁴ Section 8.25 'Promise and Performance: The Review of the Independent Review of the Mission and Purpose of FE in Wales’ (Dec 2007).