Every undergraduate in England will be offered work-based learning as part of a new commitment aimed at improving graduate employment prospects and giving businesses access to recruits with more practical workplace skills.
Universities UK (UUK), which represents 142 universities, has set an ambition for all undergraduates to have access to meaningful workplace experience by 2035, with an interim target of 50 percent by 2030. Around 1.4 million students a year are expected to benefit by the middle of the next decade.
The commitment, announced on Thursday, forms part of UUK’s Future Jobs Roadmap, developed with support from education company Pearson and the British Chambers of Commerce following discussions with around 200 employers, business groups and universities. Work-based learning could include paid placements and sandwich years as well as shorter arrangements such as job shadowing, live projects for employers and virtual experience.
Employers want stronger workplace skills
The plans follow concerns among businesses about whether graduates are sufficiently prepared for their first jobs.
A survey of 500 employers carried out as part of the work found that only 35 percent believed graduates possessed all the skills they could reasonably expect, according to analysis of the roadmap. Areas of concern included timekeeping, professional communication, resilience and dealing with problems where there is no obvious answer. A total of 81 percent of employers believed the current number of people going to university should be maintained or increased to meet future skills requirements.
Workplace experience attracted particularly strong support, with 79 percent of employers backing it as part of efforts to improve graduate employability.
UUK president Professor Malcolm Press, who is also vice-chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University, said the roadmap reflected what universities had heard directly from employers about the capabilities they require.
“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,” he said.
“Universities want to work even more closely with employers, students and government to strengthen opportunities for graduates and support economic growth.”
The initiative comes during a difficult period for younger people entering employment. UUK pointed to the number of 16 to 24-year-olds outside employment, education or training, while recent data has also shown pressure on graduate recruitment. Earlier this year, the Institute of Student Employers reported an 8 percent annual fall in graduate vacancies among a sample of 155 employers.
Regional schemes could connect graduates with smaller employers
A further proposal is the development of regional graduate schemes intended to make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to recruit university leavers.
The roadmap calls for closer links between universities and employers, including simpler routes for businesses seeking to work with institutions and more learning designed jointly with industry. Regional arrangements could help smaller employers that lack the recruitment infrastructure and established university relationships of large graduate recruiters.
The Financial Times reported on Thursday that the proposals could include regional university “one-stop shops” through which smaller companies could connect with students and graduates.
The plans have the backing of the British Chambers of Commerce. Its director general, Shevaun Haviland, argued that improving access to graduates with both technical and practical abilities could support business growth.
“By closer collaboration between businesses and universities we can get more students workplace ready. Chamber led Local Skills Improvement Plans across England can play a role in that stronger relationship.”
UUK is also calling on the government to consider extending employer National Insurance relief to all workers under 25 as a way of encouraging recruitment. Analysis of the roadmap indicates that 65 percent of employers believed support to offset the cost of hiring entry-level graduates would allow them to recruit more.
AI skills and careers support included in roadmap
Preparing students for changes in technology forms another part of the programme. UUK wants every undergraduate to have access to AI tools and every course to have an academic designated as an “AI trailblazer”, with responsibility for helping students develop skills relevant to an increasingly AI-enabled workplace.
Universities would also provide a universal lifetime entitlement to careers support rather than ending access when students graduate. Other proposals include expanding modular learning developed with employers to allow people to acquire additional skills as their careers progress.
The scale of the work-experience commitment could present practical challenges. The Times reports that delivering opportunities across institutions with tens of thousands of students, particularly in areas with fewer employers, remains an issue to be resolved. There are questions, however, over how placements would be funded and fitted around students’ academic commitments.
The commitment does not require every student to complete a conventional internship or year-long placement. Universities would instead be expected to provide access to meaningful work-based learning in different forms, allowing institutions and employers to develop arrangements suited to particular courses and industries.
Skills minister Baroness Jacqui Smith welcomed the emphasis on employability and the commitment to widen workplace experience, describing the roadmap as an important step towards recognising the employment outcomes students expect from higher education.
“I’m glad to see that strong focus on outcomes and employability in UUK’s Future Jobs Roadmap published today, including the commitment that all undergraduates have the opportunity to access work-based learning by 2035. Every student in higher level learning is investing in their future earnings. The Roadmap is an important step towards universal recognition of this fundamental outcome.”
The proposals initially apply to universities in England. A separate approach is due to be developed in Wales, with work also under way in Northern Ireland, while graduate employability in Scotland is being considered through a wider review of higher education funding.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
