Libby Hackett responds to the “Students on high-flyer courses face increase in fees” article in the Sunday Times.
WE SHOULD welcome moves to better invest the 40% subsidy on every student loan, making up more than half of government spending on higher education (“Students on high-flyer courses face increase in fees”, News, last week).
However, proposals to reward universities or courses that lead to high-earning careers risk reinforcing recruitment to City-based firms when we need to build a more dynamic economy such as in the creative and digital industries. A study last week found the UK digital economy was 40% bigger than estimated, with at least 270,000 digital companies.
We should be looking to create a diverse university sector that provides firms with the capacity they need in a competitive global arena.