Richard Questions Minister for Schools Damian Hinds on Pledge to End 'Rip Off Degrees'

Summary

In a recent interview, the UK's Conservative party proposed creating 100,000 additional skilled apprenticeships within a year if they win the general election. The policy also considers axing certain university courses with high dropout rates, dubbed 'Mickey Mouse degrees,' to ensure quality education. Schools Minister Damen Hines emphasized the importance of providing great opportunities through both university and apprenticeships, highlighting the need for quality measures and an independent regulator. He also addressed criticisms of the apprenticeship levy, defending it as a necessary reform, and discussed the potential for a national service scheme, suggesting that incentives and social norms could encourage participation without the need for enforcement.

Takeaways

• 🗳️ The conservatives propose to create 100,000 more skilled apprenticeships within a year if they win the general election.
• 🏫 They aim to address the issue of low-quality university courses, referred to as 'Mickey Mouse degrees', by not allowing courses with high dropout rates to recruit more students.
• 🎓 The emphasis is on providing great opportunities for young people, whether through university or apprenticeships, and ensuring courses deliver value.
• 💻 An example given is the disparity in earnings between graduates of different computer science courses, highlighting the need for quality measures.
• 🔍 There is an existing independent regulator, the Office for Students, to oversee university courses and their quality.
• 🔄 The conservatives claim they have improved the quality of apprenticeships, including minimum length, off-the-job training, and employer-designed standards.
• 💼 Criticism has been raised about the apprenticeship levy, with businesses arguing it restricts how funds can be spent and leads to unused funds reverting to the treasury.
• 📉 The Labour party's policy in contrast is to halve the number of apprenticeships, allowing companies to spend the levy on other things, which the conservatives oppose.
• 🤔 The schools minister, Damien Hinds, suggests that incentives and sanctions will be part of the enforcement mechanism for their policies, without criminal sanctions.
• 👥 There is a public opinion that there are too many universities in the UK, but the minister disagrees, stating that higher education is important for the economy and regional development.
• 🛡️ The focus of the policy is on ensuring the quality of education and apprenticeships, to prevent young people from dropping out and incurring debt without gaining value.

Q & A

What is the new policy regarding apprenticeships proposed by the conservatives?

The conservatives propose to create 100,000 more skilled apprenticeships within one year if they win the general election.

What is the purpose of the policy to address certain university courses referred to as 'Mickey Mouse degrees'?

The policy aims to ensure that every young person has a great opportunity, whether through university or apprenticeships, and to discourage the recruitment of students into courses with high dropout rates that do not deliver value.

How does the Schools Minister Damen Hines define 'Mickey Mouse degrees'?

Damen Hines does not use the term 'Mickey Mouse degrees' but refers to courses that do not deliver value, such as those with high dropout rates, as examples of courses that should not recruit more students.

What is an example given by Damen Hines to illustrate the disparity in outcomes between different university courses?

Hines uses the example of computer science degrees, where graduates from some courses earn £80,000 a few years later, while others from the same subject earn only £18,000, indicating a significant variation in course quality and outcomes.

What measures are already in place to regulate the quality of university courses?

There is an independent regulator, the Office for Students, that assesses the quality of university courses, and there are already quality measures in place.

Why has the timing of these policy announcements been questioned, and how does Damen Hines respond to this?

Critics question why action is only being taken now, after 14 years in power, just before a general election. Hines responds by stating that they have been working on improving apprenticeships, including overhauling their quality and creating the Institute for apprenticeships and Technical Education.

What has been the criticism regarding the apprenticeship levy introduced by the conservatives?

Businesses have criticized the apprenticeship levy for being restrictive, as it can only be spent on specific types of training and funds go back to the treasury if not used within two years, with some describing it as a 3.5 billion pound mistake.

How does Damen Hines defend the apprenticeship levy against the criticism it has received?

Hines argues that the apprenticeship levy is a landmark reform addressing the 'free rider problem', ensuring that all employers contribute to training, and unspent funds help to fund apprenticeships for smaller businesses.

What is the conservatives' stance on the number of apprenticeships compared to the labor party's?

The conservatives want to grow the number of apprenticeships, while the labor party's policy is to halve the number, as they propose to let companies spend the apprenticeship levy on other things.

How does Damen Hines suggest enforcing the proposed national service idea for young people?

Hines suggests that while there will be no criminal sanctions, there should be an incentive system that could involve sanctions. He also believes that it will become a social norm, similar to the raising of the school leaving age.

What is Damen Hines' view on the number of universities in the UK?

Hines does not believe there are too many universities in the UK. He sees the higher education sector as important for young people and the economy, emphasizing the need for quality and value for students.