Some of us are old enough to remember Tony Blair’s 1999 aspiration for 50% of young people (under 30) to go to university, with the aim of giving the UK an economic shot in the arm by delivering a new generation of workers skilled for the knowledge economy. Having achieved that target in 2019, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has recently updated its ambition: 70% into higher education (HE) by 2040.
It’s unclear what exactly the Blair Institute means by HE, a term that has historically been synonymous with the traditional taught university course. Given that its new report criticises the Government for “setting up a false choice” between university study and vocational education (something his original target could also be said to do), we can perhaps assume that HE in their terms is a broader church:
“Higher education comes in many forms, and much of it is both practically focused and an excellent preparation for the labour market, boosting incomes and growth.”
