Tories ‘tear up’ English target for half of young to enter HE

Great news. I have waited for a long time to hear something like this. I only hope that it is followed through and fully implemented.

About time. It has been far too long to make all people believe that university education is for them It often isn’t and universities suffer and are forced to offer courses of questionable value. Great to see to embrace an education that serves and develops the strength of many more by creating more applied and economically relevant courses. Don’t forget apprenticeships, though! These along with further education should form the backbone if British manufacturing industry AND other sectors. Please follow this through properly (and not just

Wonderful news. Please note; FE is not just Colleges but includes private providers and partnership providers involved in skills development and education from level 3 to level 7. Apprenticeships from level 3 to Apprenticeship degrees are a big part of this, When it comes to spending money let's be sensible about the use of the existing assets in use in current physical locations. Change the name and the ownership along with a change of use. We should re-purpose the use of appropriate University premises to deliver the new policy and not waste money on unnecessary new buildings.

Good, Universities, especially ex-poly's, might be well placed to benefit from training those that need higher 'trade' skills, Soylent's offerings to the marine transport industry are a potential example. Perhaps the NHS will benefit too, with an equivalent to SEN rather than degree level courses which have kept many potential nurses out, nursing care is more about talking with people and wiping their arses when needed than holding a degree. Especially at the start, many of my now graduate nurse qualified friends started out as SEN's, and they notice a lot of younger degree holding direct entry nurses don't have the desire to care, nor experience, as do their patients.

About 10 years ago the UTCs (university technical colleges) were set up to do much of what Williamson proposes with new institutes of technology. They were partnerships between FE providers, schools, universities and business - but as with governments of all stripes, weren't given enough time or funding to deliver. What will be be different this time?