They help equip young people with the skills and experience needed to succeed, while supporting the local workforce to thrive.
Guest blog by Lucy Wicksteed, Assistant Director of Research and External Engagement for Business
It’s hard to remember a recent week when the value and purpose of universities wasn’t being debated somewhere in the national media.
As my own son finishes his first year at university, my conversations around this are no longer confined to colleagues. They come up with friends, family and, most importantly, young people themselves. And who can blame them for questioning their choices?
The Milburn Review into Young People and Work found that a university degree is no longer a guaranteed shield against unemployment. Around 15% of young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEETs) now hold degrees, while entry-level jobs have become both less plentiful and more demanding.
For those of us of a certain age, it can be tempting to dismiss this as history repeating itself. In 1993, as an A-Level Politics student during a recession, I nervously stood up at a student conference in Shrewsbury and asked: “What’s the point in going to university if there are no jobs at the end of it?” And I joined fellow students in booing Edwina Currie MP when she suggested too many young people were entering higher education.
My views on opportunity and access haven’t changed much, but the world certainly has. Back then, there were no tuition fees, no internet, no smartphones, no Covid and no AI.
What hasn’t changed is the risk of failing to invest in young people. If we do, we face future talent shortages, reduced innovation and weaker economic competitiveness (not to mention the impact on the health and wellbeing of a generation). Skills England forecasts that demand in priority jobs will grow significantly by 2030, with most additional demand requiring higher-level qualifications, demonstrating the continued need for graduates and advanced skills within the workforce.
Indeed – despite what some of the headlines might suggest – Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data shows graduate unemployment has increased only slightly and remains at around 5%. However, averages can hide important differences. Outcomes do vary considerably between subjects, and for some graduates, the transition from university to work feels much harder than it did a few years ago.
The Milburn Review calls for a participation system that better supports young people from education into employment, recognising how much the world of work has changed. And that responsibility belongs to all of us: schools, colleges, universities, policymakers and employers.
Which is why strong partnerships between universities and industry matter more than ever.
At UWE Bristol, we are committed to ensuring our students graduate with more than qualifications. They need the confidence, capability and networks that come from real-world experience. That means meaningful placements and internships, opportunities to work on live business projects, and access to mentors and entrepreneurs who can help them test ideas, launch ventures and develop commercial awareness.
But our role extends beyond students.
Universities also have a responsibility to support the wider workforce and the communities they serve. By using our expertise in skills development, training and careers support, we can engage people who may not previously have seen higher education as relevant or accessible. This is about widening participation, building confidence and creating practical pathways into meaningful employment.
We can also help businesses stay competitive by translating our world class research into high-quality Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunities, exchanging knowledge (it works both ways!) and enabling organisations to adopt new technologies more quickly.
From digital skills to emerging technologies, universities have a crucial role to play in helping people reskill and upskill through Skills Bootcamps, CPD, Degree Apprenticeships and other flexible learning opportunities. At UWE Bristol, we are working closely with employers and policymakers to help build a local workforce that is adaptable, inclusive and ready for the jobs of the future.
As a future-focused, practice-led and partnership-first university, our relationships with business and industry have never been more important. Building on our long-standing experience as a proud post-1992 institution rooted in our region, we will continue to strengthen our work in outreach, skills development and training.
We’ve been contributing to skills, training and economic growth for a long time — and, dare I say, we’re quite good at it. But the urgency of the challenge, and the opportunity to make a difference, has never been greater.
Find out more about our Student and Graduate talent, our Enterprise Zone, or how you or your business can access our funded skills programmes.
