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  • Archive: 2009

    • Sunday, December 13th, 2009

      Understanding better the wider demand for graduates in STEM disciplines

      A wide range of career opportunities are open nowadays to STEM-qualified graduates, and they are found both in traditional scientific and engineering occupations and in other areas, such as financial services, consultancy, and the public sector. It is thought that some STEM-qualified graduates prefer not to take up science or engineering occupations because they are seen as less attractive. But we do not know if this is the only or main reason.

      We are seeking your help to get better evidence on the wider demand for STEM-qualified graduates, including in new areas of work. We are also undertaking research among STEM students and graduates on their career decision-making in a parallel study.

      We know that employers continue to experience recruitment problems despite an increase in STEM graduate supply in recent years; and many employers perceive shortages relating to STEM skills, either in specific STEM subjects or broader competencies or lack of practical work experience. But we don’t know enough about the wider demand for STEM skills.

      Commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to help inform future Government policy, CIHE is working with CRAC to research these issues.

      • Saturday, November 28th, 2009

        The Times Higher reports on the creation of CIHEs Task Forces

        Writing in the Times Higher, Hannah Fearn reports on the Council for Industry and Higher Education’s Task Forces set up to examine the relationship between business and universities in different industries.

        The article says:

        “The move, part of chief executive David Docherty’s plan to overhaul the remit of the CIHE, will produce a series of reports that are expected to inform the council’s policy in the coming years.

        The first two task forces will focus on the digital and creative industries, and engineering and manufacturing. They will begin their work in the new year, when additional groups will be announced, and report back to the CIHE in early 2011.”

        The article also quotes David Docherty: saying that the task forces would “ensure that business and university research collaborations more clearly focus on the UK’s need for global competitiveness and social wellbeing”.

        The full article: Task forces to probe academy-industry relations

        • Friday, November 27th, 2009

          Council for Industry and Higher Education launches “Partnering For Success” Task Forces

          The Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) has today announced the formation of two strategic task forces. The first will explore the next wave of engineering and manufacturing jobs and research. The second will focus on the digital and creative industries. Both task forces will explore where businesses and universities can better work together on relevant research and on creating the right jobs for the right graduates. They will also look at what the UK can learn from other countries and identify key industry trends.

          The Engineering and Manufacturing Task Force will be co-chaired by Richard Greenhalgh, former Chair of Unilever UK and current Chair of the CIHE, and Professor Nigel Thrift, Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick. The Digital and Creative Industries Task Force will be co-chaired by Rona Fairhead, Chair and CEO of the Financial Times Group, and Professor Christopher Snowden, Vice Chancellor of the University of Surrey.

          The names of the Task Force participants will follow early in the New Year.

          Dr David Docherty, CEO of the CIHE, said: ‘The shared insights generated by the Task Forces will improve the ways in which students are better prepared for the world of work, and ensure that business and university research collaborations more clearly focus on the UK’s need for global competitiveness and a better society. Sector by sector, the Task Forces will take an international perspective and look for best practice at home and abroad, and will develop creative and collaborative solutions to the global challenges we face.’

          The CIHE would also like to acknowledge the support and participation of HEFCE, UUK, the CBI and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

          Notes for Editors

          CIHE

          The Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE) is a strategic leadership network of senior business leaders and Vice Chancellors working together to enhance economic competitiveness and social cohesion.

          The CIHE’s strategic leadership network will focus specifically on where businesses and universities can combine to help resolve some of the most intractable challenges we face on climate change, new energy sources, the future of engineering and life-sciences, the digital and creative economies and financial services.

          Task Force Chairs

          Richard Greenhalgh: Formerly chairman of Unilever UK from 1988 until 2004, he now has a portfolio of activities which include a range of business, education and charitable appointments. Currently Chairman of the Council for Industry and Higher Education, CARE International UK, and the advisory board of a US listed outsourcing company, OPI. Richard is also non-executive Director at Rank Group Plc and adviser to the Boards of Calor UK, and All Nippon Airways.

          Rona Fairhead: Joined Pearson in October 2001 as Deputy Finance Director, became Chief Financial Officer in June 2002 and was appointed Chief Executive of the Financial Times Group in June 2006. She sits on the Pearson board and is also a member of the Pearson management committee. In 2007 she was appointed Chairman of Interactive Data Corporation’s Board of Directors. She was appointed a non-executive Director of HSBC Holdings plc in 2004.

          Professor Christopher Snowden: Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Surrey and a distinguished engineer with wide experience of the international microwave and semiconductor industry. He is President of the Institute of Engineering and Technology 2009-10 and Vice-President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and chairs the Academy’s Engineering Policy Group. He has recently been appointed to the UK’s Technology Strategy Board and is a Board member of Universities UK.

          Professor Nigel Thrift: Vice Chancellor of the University of Warwick and one of the world’s leading human geographers and social scientists. During his academic career, he has been the recipient of a number of distinguished academic awards, including the Royal Geographical Society Victoria Medal for contributions to geographic research in 2003 and Distinguished Scholarship Honors from the Association of American Geographers in 2007. He was made a Fellow of the British Academy in 2003, and is co-author, author or co-editor of over 35 books.

          Note: The full press release can also be downloaded from the Media section of our Knowledge Bank

          • Thursday, September 24th, 2009

            Rewarding research connected to global challenges

            CIHE supports the emphasis in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) consultation published by HEFCE on strengthening the ‘research environment’ and encouraging wider engagement by universities beyond their institution and research disciplines. This will be crucial to expanding the outward reach of our universities, not just as a civic responsibility but as part of contributing to our global competitiveness.

            Press Release:
            Rewarding research connected to impact and global challenges

            More CIHE press releases can be found in the Media section of our Knowledge Bank.

            http://www.cihe.co.uk/wp-content/themes/cihe/document.php?file=0911partneringTFpress.pdf
            • Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

              Investing in our future

              Writing in the Guardian, CIHE Chief Executive David Docherty responds to the launch of the CBI’s report from its Higher Education Task Force.

              The real sadness about the report’s initial reception is that it is a bold statement of intent by the CBI. The taskforce is calling for a major commitment by businesses to work with universities in every part of their life. Click here to read on…

              • Friday, September 11th, 2009

                CBI Task Force on Higher Education

                The CIHE welcomes the report from the CBI Task Force on Higher Education that builds on and echoes the research and collaborative activities the CIHE has undertaken over many years. As a strategic leadership network of business leaders and university Vice Chancellors we have a very direct interest in promoting a system of higher learning that contributes to greater market competitiveness and social cohesion.

                Press release:
                Collaborating for success – CBI Task Force on Higher Education

                More CIHE press releases can be found in the Media section of our Knowledge Bank.

                • Thursday, September 10th, 2009

                  Rewarding research connected to global challenges

                  CIHE supports the emphasis in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) consultation published by HEFCE on strengthening the ‘research environment’ and encouraging wider engagement by universities beyond their institution and research disciplines. This will be crucial to expanding the outward reach of our universities, not just as a civic responsibility but as part of contributing to our global competitiveness.

                   

                  Click here to read the full CIHE press release

                  • Saturday, July 11th, 2009

                    Employer Engagement with Higher Education: Defining, Sustaining and Supporting Higher Skills Provision

                    Following on from CIHE’s research on how employers can work successfully with HE to influence the curriculum and help develop new provision (see our Influence through Collaboration report published September 2008 and available for download from our Knowledge Bank), its authors Helen Connor and Wendy Hirsh have been working in collaboration with the University of Exeter in a project under the South West Regional Higher Skills Pathfinder Programme. A report on this work is now available.

                    Click the link below to download the report:

                    Employer Engagement with Higher Education: Defining, Sustaining and Supporting Higher Skills Provision

                    They are currently looking at how universities’ strategies on employer engagement vary, and how different types of universities promote and support employer engagement initiatives in teaching and learning, to be reported on in Autumn 2009.

                    Visit our Knowledge Bank to read more CIHE Publications

                    • Saturday, July 11th, 2009

                      Global Horizons: recruiting international students and graduates from UK universities

                      The fourth report in our series on Global Horizons and how universities and businesses can work together to develop more globally aware graduates. Commissioned by the Prime Minister’s Initiative (PMI2) which wanted to find out how more businesses, and especially small companies, might offer more international students a quality work placement and recruit more international graduates into their workforce.

                      An executive summary and the full report Global Horizons: recruiting international students and graduates from UK universities can be downloaded from our Knowledge Bank.