Reaction to union’s warning over education cuts

CMI (Chartered Management Institute) has today reacted to the views expressed by the University College Union (UCU) after it analysed the effect of the Government’s proposed 25 per cut for university funding.

The union has argued that over 20,000 jobs will be lost if higher education funding is cut, with UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, claiming that the budget restrictions will prevent the UK from remaining “a major force in the global knowledge economy”.

Responding to the union’s claims, Petra Wilton, director of policy and research at CMI, comments:

“There is no denying that cuts are necessary if the UK is to scale the heights of its debt mountain, but taking such a swinging axe to university funding is extremely risky.

“Employers across the UK are increasingly worried about the calibre of entrants to the job market and reducing the number of lecturers will impact on the quality of education that undergraduates receive, especially as we currently invest less in high-level skills in the UK than in many of our European neighbour states.

“We do not under-estimate the need for budget cuts, but we should also look more strategically at the scope for cost effectiveness.  Rather than salami-slicing the budgets of individual universities there is scope for savings from reducing regulation and quangos and through more co-ordinated provision of services.  Universities already provide many courses that are managed by professional bodies who have the structures in place to offer accreditation and assessment services.  These partnerships could be more widely exploited to help achieve the Government’s savings and desire to improve employability.”

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Further information:
Mike Petrook
Telephone: 020 7 421 2714
Email: mike.petrook@managers.org.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

• The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) is the only chartered professional body in the UK dedicated to promoting the highest standards of management and leadership excellence.  CMI is the founder of the National Occupational Standards for Management and Leadership and sets the standards that others follow
• As a membership organisation, CMI has been providing forward-thinking advice and support to individuals and businesses, for more than 50 years, and continues to give managers and leaders, and the organisations they work in, the tools they need to improve their performance and make an impact
• As the only organisation to offer qualifications from Level 2 (GCSE) to Level 8 (PhD), CMI is committed to equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge to be exceptional managers and leaders.  Qualifications and accreditations such as Chartered Manager, combined with products such as CMI’s Continuous Professional Development scheme and the online support resource, ManagementDirect, support the development of management and leadership excellence across the UK
• Through in-depth research and policy surveys of its 90,000 individual and 450 corporate members, CMI maintains its position as the premier authority on key management and leadership issues