Increasing co-operation between universities and employers to train “out-of-touch” students for future careers

BRITAIN RISKS losing its competitive edge if universities and businesses continue to ignore each other, claims the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

According to the CBI’s ‘Stepping Higher’ report, universities need to better integrate their courses with big business to provide training for future careers.

The CBI feels that the annual crop of graduates is often out-of-touch, and that businesses waste resources teaching skills that could better be learned at university.

“We want employees who can make a bigger contribution from day one,” said Helen Tovey, Ford Motors UK’s IT Competency and Learning Manager.

At Loughborough University, Ford Motor is now directly involved in the training of undergraduates working towards a BSc in car dealership management.

“Because it is delivered jointly by the education and the corporate sector, the content of the programme is very relevant,” Tovey said.

Government reports suggest that of the £33 billion spent on workforce training by businesses, universities could contribute at least £5 billion.

Richard Lambert, director general of the CBI said: “The economic downturn makes it even more important for employers to strengthen workforce skills as competitive pressures intensify.”

“Both sides can benefit from collaboration – businesses from new thinking and high quality employees, and universities from practical insights that enrich their teaching and research.”

The report highlights other examples of co-operation between universities and employers, including a scheme between Sellafield nuclear plant and the University of Central Lancashire.

Another project run jointly by Rolls-Royce, Bristol University and the University of the West of England seeks to train engineering students, and is linked to Rolls-Royce’s graduate recruitment programme.

The University of Abertay, Dundee is the only Scottish institution to offer an industry-led degree, teaching video game programming qualifications in alliance with gaming giant Electronic Arts.

Entrepreneurial encouragement is also a recommendation of the report, and the University of Edinburgh is going some way to meet this with LAUNCH, a service to support the formation of start-up and spin-out companies.

Linked to the Scottish Institute for Enterprise, LAUNCH seems to be exactly the sort of industry-based support the CBI’s report is trying to encourage.

Industry-driven degrees tend to be more commonplace in the financial world, with global firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and American Express heavily involved in undergraduate training.

“The real challenge,” Mr Lambert said, “is involving businesses university-wide.”