All undergraduates should get work-based learning, v-cs say

Every undergraduate in England would be given the chance to do work experience and will receive lifelong careers advice from their institution under new proposals from Universities UK (UUK).

Unveiling its “Future Jobs Roadmap” at its annual conference at Nottingham Trent University, the vice-chancellors’ body says “all undergraduates [should] have access to meaningful work-based learning by 2035, with a milestone of reaching 50 per cent by 2030”.

Achieving this ambition would see about 1.4 million undergraduates undertake work experience each year by the middle of the next decade.

Graduates would also receive a new “universal lifetime entitlement to careers support both while they are at university and throughout their career”, says the plan published on 9 September.

Every undergraduate would also be entitled to access artificial intelligence (AI) tools, the roadmap states, while every course should have a lecturer who is an “AI trailblazer” so that “graduates have the skills to be AI pioneers in the workplace”.

The roadmap was produced with support from education provider Pearson and the British Chambers of Commerce.

Its recommendations will apply only to universities in England, with a bespoke set due to be published in Wales and work also under way related to Northern Ireland. Scotland’s plans on graduate employability will be addressed via a review of higher education funding led jointly by Universities Scotland and the Scottish government.

Malcolm Press, president of Universities UK and vice-chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University, said the blueprint was the “result of universities listening carefully to employers about the challenges they face and the skills they need, and responding with action”.

"The message we heard was clear: graduates possess significant talent and potential and employers value them highly. But we need to do even more to help students gain workplace experience, develop professional confidence and prepare for a changing economy,” continued Press.

“Universities want to work even more closely with employers, students and government to strengthen opportunities for graduates and support economic growth.”

The main commitment on work experience echoes the University of Manchester’s recently announced promise to provide summer work placements for students – a policy that could see up to 30,000 students obtain on-the-job experience.

Work-based learning can include sandwich years, work placements, job shadowing and virtual work experience.

Other commitments in the roadmap include expanding employer co-designed learning and modular provision, supporting regional graduate schemes by working more closely with small and medium enterprises, and efforts to make it easier for employers to engage with universities.

The roadmap also calls on government to support youth employment by scrapping employer National Insurance contributions to all young people under 25 earning less than £50,000.

Shevaun Haviland, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said the roadmap was “full of practical ideas that reflect what businesses are telling us they need, and could make a real difference for both employers and employees alike”.

Also speaking at the UUK conference, skills minister Jacqui Smith was expected to urge vice-chancellors to work with local leaders, further education colleges and employers to design courses to meet regional needs and to create more work experience opportunities.

“Your institutions are a network of economic engines throughout the country. We want to build on your established strengths and successes to distribute opportunity and drive national renewal,” the minister was due to tell sector heads. 

“Universities should be at the heart of local partnerships that turn economic opportunity into courses, student workplace experience and good jobs for local people.”

jack.grove@timeshighereducation.com