Higher Futures news digest
Week ending 21 May 2010
Lifelong Learning Network news
General news
- Widening participation - Give poor students their first year of university free (Daily Mail, 20 May 2010)
Poorer students should be given a free year at university to encourage them to go into higher education, a report suggests today.
- Widening particpation - Universities to check family backgrounds of students in drive to break middle-class dominance (Daily Mail, 19 May 2010)
Teenagers applying to top universities face school and family background checks in a new drive to break the middle-class dominance of higher education.
- Widening participation - Report examines opportunities for fairer access (HEFCE, 19 May 2010)
HEFCE today welcomes a report from Sir Martin Harris, Director of the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), to Government that seeks to establish what more can be done to widen access to highly selective universities.
- Widening participation - Top universities 'are failing to widen intake (BBC, 18 May 2010)
Young people from poorer backgrounds are still struggling to get into top universities, says the agency in charge of widening access to higher education.
- Higher education - Universities 'must make guarantees' to justify fees rise (The Independent, 21 May 2010)
Universities should face financial sanctions if they fail to deliver minimum class sizes and lecturer contact time to students, a leading vice-chancellor said yesterday.
- Higher education - Extra university places pledged (BBC, 20 May 2010)
The coalition government has pledged to create more university places in England but stopped short of saying whether tuition fees would rise.
- Higher education - Universities take stock of what Conservative-Liberal Democrat government will mean for them (The Guardian, 18 May 2010)
Will new ministers ensure that universities, which have already taken the financial rap, are not subjected to further reductions.
- Higher education - School-leavers and graduates are lacking basic skills, says survey (The Times, May 17 2010)
School-leavers and graduates are lacking basic skills, says survey.
- Higher education - Put Michael Gove in charge: universities are for learning, not for business (Telegraph, 14 May 2010)
Labour's stupid decision to put universities under the control of the Business department must be reversed, says Simon Heffer.
- Higher education - Universities say students may face earlier loan payback (BBC, 14 May 2010)
Graduates should pay higher interest rates on their student loans to help avert a university funding crisis, a report says.
- Higher education - Gove spells out education priorities for 'a new era' (BBC, 13 May 2010)
Michael Gove has set out his priorities for education, saying they will mark a new era.
- Higher education - Universities fear extra cuts are in the offing (The Guardian, 12 May 2010)
Steve Smith, president of Universities UK, the umbrella group for vice-chancellors says further cuts in the emergency budget would play havoc with higher education budgets
- Higher education - Recession-hit graduates queue to go back to university (The Times, 18 May 2010)
The number of people applying for postgraduate study at Oxford has overtaken applications for its undergraduate degrees for the first time.
- Further education - Strong increase in demand for adult education (The Guardian, 11 May 2010)
An annual survey shows that the number of people wanting to go back to learning is at a 20-year high.
- Education - Education overhaul gathering pace (BBC, 14 May 2010)
The new government's education team is pushing ahead with plans for radical changes to schools in England, with legislation expected within weeks.
- IAG - New qualifications for people delivering career guidance to adults (LLUK, 12 May 2010)
Aimed at those delivering career guidance to adults in England, this framework of three new qualifications will help to train staff and encourage progression within the sector.
- IAG - Want to know more about Career Guidance? (LLUK, 7 May 2010)
Over the twelve months since Career Guidance became part of the Lifelong Learning UK footprint, we have done a lot of work that will help us support the career guidance workforce across the UK.
- Employment - Unemployment: what the experts say (The Guardian, 12 May 2010)
Despite claimant figures falling, unemployment has risen to 2.51 million, the highest level since 1994. Financial experts weigh up the figures.
- Employment - Unemployment up to highest level in 15 years (The Guardian, 12 May 2010)
Unemployment figures have risen to the highest level for 15 years to 2.51 million despite a fall in the claimant count.
- Employment - UK employers feeling cautiously optimistic, says survey (ICG, 14 May 2010)
An improving global economy has triggered a renewed sense of optimism in UK hiring plans over the next year, according to a new study.
- Employment - Employability application guide arrives (LLUK, 12 May 2010)
Lifelong Learning UK have produced an application guide that defines the skills, knowledge and understanding that any teacher, tutor or trainer will need to support the development of employability skills in their learners.
- Lifelong learning - From dog psychology to foot photography: Adult Learners' Week kicks off today (Unionlearn, 17 May 2010)
Thousands of workers will be taking part in activities during Adult Learners' Week (May 17-21) and Learning at Work Day (May 20).
- Lifelong learning - Slight rise in UK adult learners, survey suggests (BBC, 13 May 2010)
There has been a slight rise in the number of adults in the UK taking part in learning, a survey suggests.
- Sectors: Engineering - Skills shortage is getting worse, bosses warn (The Guardian, 18 May 2010)
It's tough finding staff with science and technology skills, and as the recovery sets in, it's going to get even harder, researchers are told.
Events
- Skills for jobs: Today and tomorrow - The National Strategic Skills Audit for England 2010
Wednesday 9th June, Yorkshire and Humber
- HEFCE - Fast-track and flexible learning degrees
Friday 18 June, University of Plymouth
- Participation in Higher Education: Protecting and Improving The Drive for Wider and Fairer Access
25th November 2010, 10.15am - 4.30pm, Westminster
- Widening Participation in the 21st Century: A Decade of Learning
24th and 25th June 2010 in Milton Keynes
- FACE 2010, "Which Way Now To Widen Participation: Lifelong Learning, Economy and Society"
30th June to 2nd July 2010, Southampton Solent University
- Creating 21st Century Apprenticeships: Investigating the Implications for Service Providers and Employers
8th September 2010, Westminster
- Aimhigher National Conference 2010 - Call for Workshops - ‘The best is yet to come’
Tuesday 12th October 2010, Russell Hotel, London
Publications
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