Examination of Witnesses (Question 279)
DR DAVID
COLLINS, DR
MALCOLM MCVICAR,
PROFESSOR DAVID
EASTWOOD AND
PROFESSOR DEIAN
HOPKIN
9 JULY 2008
Chairman: Good morning to everyone and
could I welcome our first panel of witnesses this morning. This
is the fourth evidence session we have had in After Leitch: Implementing
Skills and Training Policies. It is the last session before we
have the Minister to respond to the evidence so far. We are delighted
to have before us this morning Dr David Collins, the President
of the Association of Colleges and Principal of South Cheshire
College—welcome to you, David, and Dr Malcolm McVicar, the
Vice Chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire representing
Million+—welcome to you, Malcolm. Central Lancashire is
here every day at the moment.
Dr Iddon: Why not!
Ian Stewart: Quite rightly!
Q279 Chairman: We have also got Professor
David Eastwood, the Chief Executive of HEFCE—welcome to
you David once again, and last, but by no means least, a regular
visitor to the House, Professor Deian Hopkin, Vice-Chancellor
of London South Bank University, representing Universities UK.
Welcome to you all. I wonder if I could start with you, Professor
Eastwood. Lord Leitch said that without increased skills we would
condemn ourselves to a lingering decline in competitiveness, diminishing
economic growth and a bleaker future for all. Do you agree with
his analysis that our skills deficit is so dire?
Professor Eastwood: We agree with
Lord Leitch that the skills challenge is a very significant and
serious one and we also agree with the central thrust of the Leitch
analysis that policy now needs to be geared very much towards
the next decade. We could have a discussion, and perhaps we will,
around whether or not the 2020 targets are spot-on but from the
point of view of the Funding Council there is no doubt that we
need both to raise the level of skills at Level 4 and above and
deliver higher education both in traditional and in novel ways
to meet those challenges.
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