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This report summarises findings from the 'Going into HE' qualitative research project, conducted by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). The aim of the project was to develop a clear understanding of: (1) the role and importance of finance in the decision-making process of English-domiciled people from different groups who are considering entering full-time higher education (HE) in the UK; and (2) the impact of the support arrangements on their decisions. The research found that financial factors tend not to dent HE aspirations among those planning to apply. Indeed, they tend to be outweighed by a range of non-financial factors, especially for younger people. Insofar as finance is important in decision-making, it is in determining where to apply and study rather than what to study or whether to study at all. Applicants tend to underestimate the amount of student financial support for which they will be eligible. Some of them arrive at key HE decisions having accessed very little information and having cursorily discounted certain options. Insofar as fees are seen as an inevitability, there is broad support among students for financing these through loans for tuition. Preferences regarding loans for maintenance, however, are more divided: some students are receptive to bigger loans as a means of financing study while many mature and non-traditional students would be prepared to contemplate a lower total support package within which non-repayable support such as grants and bursaries would make up a higher proportion, leading to lower indebtedness.

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In response to UK government reports that only six per cent of people with learning difficulties are currently in employment, a taskforce was formed to examine the accessibility of apprenticeships for people with learning disabilities. The aim is to see training opportunities and apprenticeships made more accessible so that young people with learning disabilities are more easily able to enter the workforce. Working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Education (DfE) the task force aimed to create three million apprenticeships by 2020 and halve the disability gap. The taskforce, led by Paul Maynard and including employers, training providers, charities and educational experts, met three times throughout May and June: once to identify issues, then to explore solutions and finally to form recommendations to make to ministers.

These two documents contain the recommendations of the taskforce and the response from the government response through BIS and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Show less

This paper builds on the analysis set out in ‘New industry, new jobs’ in April 2009 [report indexed at TD/TNC 97.225] and sets out the wide ranging work program that has flowed from that analysis over the last year. To maximise Britain’s potential, the role of public institutions and public policy alongside the powerful dynamics of the market in supporting the development of a diverse economy based on knowledge, innovation and productive investment needs to be well understood and fully exploited. This paper identifies those basic capabilities and sets out how the government has invested in them over the last six months. It also makes it clear how the commitment to continued investment in Britain’s industrial competitiveness will be taken forward. Seven core capabilities in the British economy will underpin the government’s drive to restore strong, sustainable, long-term growth: (1) supporting enterprise and entrepreneurial activity, including the access to finance required for starting and growing firms; (2) fostering knowledge creation and its application; (3) helping people develop the skills and capabilities to find work and build the businesses and industries of the future; (4) investing in the infrastructure required to support a modern low carbon economy; (5) ensuring open and competitive markets to drive innovation and rising productivity; (6) building on our industrial strengths where we have particular expertise or might gain a comparative advantage, and where government action can have an impact; and (7) recognising and employing the right strategic role for government in markets that allows us as a nation to capitalise on new opportunities.

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In February 2012, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) commissioned research to examine the make-up, dynamics, and scale of the third sector to maximise its engagement and participation in the delivery of learning and skills. A provider typology was produced at an early stage based on a definition of the third sector as comprising registered charities, community interest companies, industrial and provident societies, voluntary and community organisations (including unincorporated charities and community organisations), social enterprises, trusts and foundations, and co-operatives and mutuals. This excluded from the analysis other organisations and providers such as further education colleges, local authorities and private training companies. The research, which included a literature review, quantitative provider survey, provider focus groups, a statistical analysis of learner and provider data and the development of good practice case studies, has been the largest study of its type into the third sector and has provided a significant and rich source of evidence. The research was delivered by a partnership of Skills-Third Sector, the Third Sector National Learning Alliance (TSNLA) and the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) with support from Fairtrain, HOLEX, the Learning and Skills Improvement Service (LSIS) and BIS.

The research has demonstrated that the third sector has a number of strengths and is well placed to contribute to the government's priorities for learning and skills. However there remain a number of challenges that need to be addressed, by government and its departments and agencies, those organisations with a remit to support and represent third sector providers and the third sector itself, if the contribution the third sector makes to society and the economy is to be fully recognised, valued and supported. A set of strategic objectives and priority actions have been developed and are recommended to overcome these challenges. These are to: demonstrate the benefits of working with the third sector; further develop the capability and capacity of the third sector to deliver learning and skills; improve third sector learning and skills delivery; and develop effective collaboration within and with the third sector. The research also resulted in a strategic framework which will drive implementation of the research findings during the next phase of the project.

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This report outlines the strategy that aims to make the automotive industry sector’s long term future more secure, grow the UK share of the value chain and secure strong global competitive positions in low carbon [research and development] R[and]D and in premium and niche vehicles. It covers: investment with industry over 10 years in a new Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) to support new technology and supply chains for low carbon vehicles; investment to set up the Automotive Investment Organisation to lead attracting investment in the UK, particularly supply chain companies ensuring the right skills through a collective road map for the skills and training needed to address skills gaps in the automotive sector (e.g. joint programs to attract school leavers, graduates and postgraduates into the automotive industry). This will ensure that the UK automotive industry is well placed to benefit from more investment in production and in important R[and]D activity.

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[This report] explains the benefits for business investment in leadership and management skills. [It is] based on evidence about current practice and the UK's position relative to key competitor nations.

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Objective 4 of the UK's National Cyber Security Strategy is for the UK to have the cross-cutting knowledge, skills and capability it needs to deliver the wider strategy. Through the National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP) the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and the Cabinet Office have partnered to lead and support activity to increase cyber security skills at all levels of education, and amongst the cyber security workforce over the past two and a half years. This work has been taken forward in close collaboration with business and the education and skills sectors.

To build on this foundation and to continue to take account of the changing cyber security landscape as well as the evolving needs of businesses, BIS engaged with a range of businesses to discuss their cyber security skills needs through a questionnaire and series of workshops. This report sets out the key findings and summarises government plans for cyber security skills activities in the coming year, informed by the suggestions of businesses who participated in the exercise.

Edited excerpts from publication.

The companion 'supporting evidence' document provides the outputs from the questionnaire and feedback from the workshop sessions. It also sets out the government's view on the suggestions put forward by businesses for future actions to strengthen the UK's cyber security skills. Show less

This white paper sets out the UK government's plans to reform the higher education and research system. In some cases these plans are subject to Parliament. The paper builds on the proposals consulted on in the earlier green paper, noting that the higher education landscape has changed fundamentally since the last major legislative reforms of 1992. The university system now needs important reform to fulfil its potential and to sustain its global standing.

The paper argues that higher education continues to be a sound financial and personal investment with a wide range of societal benefits. But there is more to be done for the university system to fulfil its potential as an engine of social mobility and a driver of economic growth. Access remains uneven, with young people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds 2.4 times less likely to go into higher education than the most advantaged. Courses are inflexible, based on the traditional three-year undergraduate model, with insufficient innovation and provision of two-year degrees and degree apprenticeships. Many students are dissatisfied with the provision they receive, with over 60 per cent of students feeling that all or some elements of their course are worse than expected and a third of these attributing this to concerns with teaching quality. Employers are suffering skills shortages, especially in high skilled [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] STEM areas; at the same time around 20 per cent of employed graduates are in non-professional roles three and a half years after graduating. While the graduate premium has remained substantial, even as student numbers have expanded rapidly in recent decades, recent research suggests there is large variation in graduate outcomes across both providers and subjects, and even for those that studied the same subject within the same provider.

The paper suggests that at the heart of this lies insufficient competition and a lack of informed choice. The measures outlined here will help ensure that everyone with the potential to benefit from higher study can access relevant information to help them make the right choices from a wide range of high quality universities and benefit from excellent teaching that supports their future productivity. By introducing more competition and informed choice into higher education, the government aims to deliver better outcomes and value for students, employers and taxpayers.

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This report provides an economic analysis of the further education (FE) market in England. FE in England refers to any study taken after the age of 16 that is not part of higher education (that is, not taken as part of an undergraduate or post-graduate degree). It is delivered by a range of public, private and voluntary sector providers and, in general, equips a learner for further learning, including higher education, or for employment. It also plays an important role in reaching out to disadvantaged groups to encourage their participation in learning when they otherwise might not. To inform decisions about how best to fund and regulate the FE market so that it can deliver effectively for learners and employers and contribute to a skilled and productive workforce, this report has four key objectives. They are to: (1) describe the FE market and its sub 'markets': the economic structure, policy landscape and key players in the market; (2) investigate the extent to which features are observed in the FE market and its sub 'markets' that are common to well-functioning markets and to identify where such features would not be appropriate given the wider objectives of FE; (3) identify the barriers that prevent the FE 'markets' from functioning effectively; and therefore (4) stimulate discussion of priorities for policy intervention to improve effectiveness.

The focus in this report is on the publicly funded components of the FE market and not the wide range of education and training that is privately funded by employers for their staff. Also excluded is other study that FE providers may offer within the school and higher education systems, e.g. vocational provision for 14-16 year olds. The analysis draws on three substantive forms of evidence: a review of published literature, a quantitative analysis of data, and around 60 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders across the market.

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International student mobility, especially diploma mobility (students taking their entire degree outside the UK), has received little attention from researchers. This report summarises the findings of research funded by the UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) aimed at improving understanding of the motivations behind the international diploma mobility of UK students. It also seeks to evaluate the scale and significance of UK international diploma mobility. The research on which this report is based had two general aims: (1) to improve understanding of the motivations behind diploma mobility and the career aspirations of those who choose to study abroad; and (2) to evaluate the scale and significance of international diploma mobility of English students. The report is organised in three main sections. First, a review is offered of secondary data relating to UK diploma mobility. The second section of the report analyses the survey of school pupils and the interviews with school careers guidance teachers. The third main part of the report describes the results of the international student survey. It then seeks an explanation of the motivations for studying abroad before considering what have been the experiences of UK internationally diploma-mobile students and whether they are likely to return to work in the UK after graduation.

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