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Press release

Students to be better prepared by higher education to meet employers’ needs

A report published today by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) shows that higher education institutions in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are successfully responding to the needs of employers and, by becoming more flexible on where and the way they offer their courses, are prepared to meet anticipated challenges in the future.

The report is a result of the employer-responsive provision survey, a project that began during spring 2009 which explored the extent and perceptions of employer-responsive provision among higher education institutions in the three nations.

Anthony McClaran, QAA’s Chief Executive, said: ‘This comprehensive report shows that institutions are becoming increasingly responsive to the needs of employers by being flexible in the learning they offer and where or how it takes place.

‘They have changed their structures and quality procedures to ensure that learning and achievement in the workplace are of the same standard as ‘traditional’ provision. However, many institutions have adopted a risk-based approach to this type of provision because it is outside the traditional three-year degree model.

‘While there are plenty of positives to come out of the report, there are still challenges ahead. Employers want a rapid response to their demands and sometimes struggle to understand institutions’ requirements and timescales for approval of programmes or units of learning.

‘Some respondents claimed that there were tensions between employers’ and institutions’ requirements when considering the learning outcomes and assessment. In some cases there may be employers who place more importance on learners demonstrating  professional competencies rather than achieving academic knowledge.

‘The report recognises these tensions, but it’s important to maintain a balance between the needs of the employer and the requirements of the institution, while ensuring the standards and quality are not compromised.’

To access the report please visit:
www.qaa.ac.uk/employers/EffectiveProvision.pdf

Notes to editors:

For further information and interview requests please contact:
Matthew Mathias, Public Relations Officer, on 01452 557088 m.mathias@qaa.ac.uk

  1. QAA checks how UK universities and maintain their academic standards and quality. We review and report on how they meet their responsibilities, identify good practice and make recommendations for improvement. We publish guidelines to help UK universities and colleges develop effective systems to ensure students have the best learning experience.

  2. The project involved collecting and analysing data from two main sources: semi-structured interviews with institutional representatives involved in the quality assurance and delivery of work-based learning and employer engagement, and similar discussions with relevant staff of the Higher Education Academy's Subject Centre Network. Fifty-seven institutions and 11 Subject Centres participated in the survey and the project also drew on discussions which took place at the QAA Liaison conference held in July 2009. The project was informed by the reference points published by QAA to support institutions in the management of quality and standards, collectively known as the Academic Infrastructure.

  3. The Academic Infrastructure consists of:
  • The framework for higher education qualifications in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (FHEQ)
  • the Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education (Code of practice)
  • subject benchmark statements
  • programme specifications

    Further information on the Academic Infrastructure at available at: www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/default.asp