UCAS’ national debate, Journey to a Million forecasts a story of upcoming growth in demand for UK higher education. By 2030, there could be up to 30 per cent more HE applicants, with confidence ratings projecting an increase of between 19.5 per cent and 41 per cent.
Yet when I speak to vice-chancellors and principals across the UK, few speak of their intention to vastly grow their intakes, build new campuses, or open new faculties.
Similarly, current indicators don’t point towards exponential growth in the availability of apprenticeship opportunities – we know that last year, fewer than 5,000 under 19-year-olds in England started level four and above apprenticeships.
Here lies the crux of the challenge – in a world where demand outstrips supply, how do we keep global competitive forces at bay and ensure that students can still access the world-class HE experiences they deserve? All while maintaining positive progress towards widening access? As will be the case for many readers, I’ve got personal, as well as professional, interest in this topic, with my youngest daughter set to be one of the Million.
