Universities will need to incorporate
IT and computing skills into a wide range of degrees as demand
for graduates of with IT skills grows, a fringe meeting at the
Labour Party Conference heard yesterday.
The changing nature of many professions means most will need
some level of IT literacy and education, so IT will no longer be
simply a standalone degree.
Derek Longhurst, director of Foundation Degree Forward, a
government-funded body which aims to engage employers in education,
said, "The idea of sectors being discrete and separable will be
under severe pressure. There will be a lot of interchange, because
of the way technology permeates so much of what we do on a
day-to-day basis.
"At the moment, each subject is very defined and has set
boundaries. The change will be a social and cultural issue as a
well as a technological one, in terms of how educational systems
adjust to it."
Will Hutton, chief executive of research consultancy The Work
Foundation, said new technologies are likely to change the way
people work and challenge current business models. He said, "New
technologies coming through are going to substantially change the
boundaries between sectors."
The government's focus on employer-led demand for skills, a
policy inspired by
Lord Leitch's report on skills, does not inspire individuals to
learn, said Andrew Sich from qualifications body City and
Guilds.
The policy has been in place since the publication of the Leitch
report in 2006 and has led to the creation of sector skills
councils, such as E-Skills UK, whose job is to represent employers'
interests and liaise with universities and schools.
Sich said, "The demand-led approach always had its problems. It
was heavily weighted in favour of employers. There may need to be
some sort of recallibration."
Longhurst said, "It is not just about stimulating employer
demand but working to stimulate aspiration in the workforce."
Skill minister David Lammy said no big investment in skills
could be expected in the near future because of the economic
downturn. But he said, "There are some sectors, like IT, where you
might expect growth. We have got to have a system that is
flexible."
More from the Labour Party Conference
Broadband should be left to market, says minister >>
Government must embrace Web 2.0, say IT managers >>