MillionPlus proposes three tests to assess outcomes of devolved skills investment

Universities should have a formal role in shaping regional skills and growth plans, and authorities should assess whether those plans help local people gain higher-level skills and find opportunities to use them, according to a new policy briefing from MillionPlus, the Association for Modern Universities.

Published today (21 October), Making Devolution Deliver: Three tests for skills, opportunity and economic growth sets out two linked proposals: systematic university involvement in developing, delivering and reviewing regional plans, and three tests to examine whether policy and investment are delivering local economic benefit.

The paper argues that persistent regional inequalities and workforce shortages make it important to assess the connection between education provision and employment opportunities. Delivering qualifications does not, by itself, establish whether local people can access the education they need, progress into skilled work or build careers within their regional economies.

MillionPlus proposes three tests:

• Access: Can local people access higher-level skills flexibly and close to home?
• Connect: Do locally acquired skills lead to local opportunities?
• Retain: Do places benefit from the talent they help to develop?

The tests would assess government policy, rather than create university performance measures. Data on participation, employment and local workforce needs should help regional authorities assess what is working and where provision or investment needs to change.

Nearly half of modern university students live at home while studying, underlining the importance of local provision for people balancing education with work or caring responsibilities. Previous MillionPlus research also found that 48% of modern-university graduates grew up, studied and worked in the same region, compared with 26% of graduates from pre-1992 universities. The paper recognises graduate mobility as positive: retention should reflect employment opportunities, commuting patterns and long-term economic change, rather than an expectation that graduates remain within a particular council boundary.

Universities already contribute through regional business boards, skills partnerships and collaboration with colleges, employers and public services. The paper calls for their involvement to be established within existing governance arrangements, with clear responsibilities for shaping and reviewing plans, rather than depending on individual relationships or invitations.

In England, Mayoral Strategic Authorities should draw on modern universities’ expertise to identify communities underserved by higher-level education, assess workforce needs and agree priorities for provision and investment. This should include routes between college and university study and workforce needs in essential public services alongside growth-driving industries. In Scotland, MillionPlus calls for the same principles to inform Regional Economic Partnerships and reforms to tertiary education and skills funding, reflecting the different governance arrangements.

Existing partnerships provide examples on which authorities can build. The University of Cumbria was closely consulted during development of its Local Skills Improvement Plan. In the West of England, Universities West, which includes Bath Spa University, is represented on the Mayoral Combined Authority’s Business Board and supporting cluster groups.

Rachel Hewitt, CEO of MillionPlus, said:

“Modern universities are anchors of opportunity and growth. They help people build careers in the places where they grew up and provide the skills local employers and public services need. If the government is serious about rebalancing the economy and spreading opportunity, universities should have a formal role in shaping regional skills and growth plans. We also need to assess whether those plans are delivering for local people. The three tests ask whether people can access higher-level skills, find skilled work and use their talents locally. Where opportunities are missing, that evidence should help authorities decide what needs to change in provision and investment.”

Professor Graham Baldwin, Chair of MillionPlus and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lancashire, said:

“Devolution will only deliver its promise if investment in skills is connected to the realities of local economies and the aspirations of local people. Modern universities are uniquely placed to bridge that gap, working with employers, colleges and public services to create pathways into skilled employment. By formally embedding universities in regional decision-making, and focusing on whether people can access opportunities, connect skills to good jobs and build their futures locally, we can ensure devolved investment delivers lasting benefits for communities across the UK.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. For further information or to arrange an interview, please email press@millionplus.ac.uk
2. Making Devolution Deliver: Three tests for skills, opportunity and economic growth is available here
3. MillionPlus is the Association for Modern Universities in the UK, and the voice of 21st century higher education. We champion, promote and raise awareness of the essential role and impact of modern universities in the UK’s world-leading higher education sector. More information can be found at www.millionplus.ac.uk
4. What are modern universities? Modern universities are long established centres of higher education in their communities with roots that stretch back decades, if not centuries. Many gained the university title following legislation agreed by parliament in 1992. They make up almost half of the UK university sector with over a million students studying at modern universities every year.
5. Think Modern: Innovation, ingenuity and inclusion from Britain's modern universities – facts and stats