April 1, 2010
CIHE advises the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills postgraduate review
Yesterday the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills published its review of the postgraduate sector – One Step Beyond: Making the most of postgraduate education.
The review which was commissioned by Lord Mandelson in July 2009 was carried out by Professor Adrian Smith (Director General of Science and Research in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) and five senior figures from the worlds of higher education and business.
David Docherty, Chief Executive of the Council for Industry and Higher Education and an advisor to the review said:
“We know that postgraduates are important drivers of innovation, entrepreneurship and growth and that many employers value postgraduate level skills. However, HEIs and businesses could do more to work together to ensure postgraduates have the business-facing skills that employers need – particularly leadership skills and work experience.”
The review draws on a number of the Council for Industry and Higher Education’s research reports including its most recent, ‘Talent Fishing: What Businesses Want from Postgraduates’ launched last week. ‘Talent fishing’ consulted with 56 businesses – many of them global recruiters and explores the extent and nature of demand for postgraduates from businesses and found that there is a high level of demand for, and satisfaction with higher degrees.
The recommendations in the postgraduate review, ‘One Step Beyond’, highlight the need to do more to ensure postgraduate education in the UK remains internationally competitive and are addressed to the UK Government, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), funding bodies and other stakeholders. The report proposes how postgraduate provision can be made more responsive to the needs of employers, and how it can prepare postgraduates to succeed in a range of careers. It also draws attention to the need for improved data about the social background of postgraduates and the benefits of postgraduate study.
The senior advisors to the review, in addition to David, included: Dr Tim Bradshaw, Head of Science, Technology and Innovation at the CBI; Professor Keith Burnett, Vice Chancellor of the University of Sheffield; Professor Wendy Purcell, Vice Chancellor of the University of Plymouth; and Professor Sarah Worthington, Pro Director for Research and External Relations at the London School of Economics.
The full review, One Step Beyond: Making the most of postgraduate education, can be found on the BIS website.
