Bologna Shaping the Agenda

Employers’ perspective

Richard BrownChief Executive, Council for Industry and Higher Education (CIHE)

Bologna: Shaping the Agenda A View from Business

Richard A BrownChief Executive

The Council for Industry and Higher Education

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Various stages of ignorance on Bologna• Distinguish between international businesses

and SMEs• A reasonably informed business has views on:

1) student depth (3+2+?)2) ECTIS3) student mobility and global awareness4) courses in English5) generic v specific skills

Ignorance is bliss!

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6) international recruitment

7) more transparent info

(Diploma Supplements)

8) overall quality

9) research excellence

What employers want…

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1) Increased emphasis on post-grad qualifications2) Opportunities for greater student mobility and for work

based learning across frontiers; employers value grads who have wide experience, but message not getting through

3) Potential for institutional partnerships and placements4) Threat to UK delivery of English language learning

Implications

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Implications

5) Greater continental emphasis on general employability skills with employers investing more in up-skilling?6) UK can remain source for international grads (but need more depth in STEM incl. via 4 year awards)7) Help SMEs and diversity agendas8) High quality even more important in an international market; contact hours only one aspect; UK perceived as high quality but…

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Implications

9) European Research Council; EIT as coordinating networks; SP6 also networks of excellence; world class research, graduates and post-grads

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Richard BrownChief Executive

The Council for Industry and Higher Education

cihe@cihe-uk.comwww.cihe-uk.com