Read: LPC 23: How universities can play a leading role in providing technical education fit for the future
Equipping the UK with the skills needed for a green, digital, high tech economy is vital if the country is to get back on track, and universities can play a leading role in making sure that the next generation’s technical education is fit for the future.
An event hosted by the Purpose Coalition and the University of Greenwich at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool today, Skills Superpower: How can the UK provide technical education that is fit for the future?, discussed how technical education can not only drive higher productivity but also boost social mobility. Chair of the Purpose Coalition and former Education Secretary, Rt Hon Justine Greening, was joined on the panel by Professor Jane Harrington, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Greenwich and crossbench member of the House of Lords and former Labour MP, Lord Walney.
Purpose Coalition partner, the University of Greenwich, is one of the institutions that is working hard to connect young people with the businesses around them. Many of their students are from disadvantaged backgrounds in London and Kent, with little experience of the professional and technical institutions in the City of London that are within sight of its campus. Through extensive outreach with local schools and colleges it lays the groundwork that encourages and inspires those young people to consider careers that will make the most of their talents and lead to more rewarding, prosperous lives.
Today’s event heard about some of the University’s best practice, including the GREat Skills programme which offers students from local schools and colleges a range of academic, personal and transferable skills workshops delivered by trained student ambassadors and staff that help prepare them for the transition from university to the jobs of the future, including engineering, games development and logistics. The scheme demonstrates how the University’s approach is making a difference for its students, bridging the gap by providing graduates with the skills and expertise that employers need to achieve a high skilled, high wage economy as well as a more diverse workforce that better reflects the communities they serve.
