Imminent funding plans for universities must do more to help lost generation of students
18 January 2012
UCU said today that the imminent grant letter from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), which details how much funding will be available for university teaching budgets, must provide an urgent boost for the one million young people out of work.
The union said the generation of young people encouraged their entire school lives to 'aim higher' now needed support to achieve their potential and not just become yet another statistic in the record unemployment figures.
The unemployment rate has not been higher since 1995 and the number of unemployed people has not been higher since 1994.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'There is an entire generation of young people who were told throughout their time at school to aim higher and aspire to university. They did that, but now they are seeing the door slammed in their faces as financial support is slashed, fees rocket and funding for universities drastically cut.
'Unless the government is prepared to look again at the good education can do both for society and the economy, we will have yet more people heading to the dole queue rather than fulfilling their potential at university. The government and HEFCE really need to make a clear statement that they back our universities with the forthcoming grant letter.'
The unemployment rate has not been higher since 1995 and the number of unemployed people has not been higher since 1994.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'There is an entire generation of young people who were told throughout their time at school to aim higher and aspire to university. They did that, but now they are seeing the door slammed in their faces as financial support is slashed, fees rocket and funding for universities drastically cut.
'Unless the government is prepared to look again at the good education can do both for society and the economy, we will have yet more people heading to the dole queue rather than fulfilling their potential at university. The government and HEFCE really need to make a clear statement that they back our universities with the forthcoming grant letter.'
- PrintPrint this page
- Share
Comments