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Nick Hillman

  • After the storm: Responding to critiques of our paper on student finance in Wales

    30 October 2018 by Nick Hillman

    To my surprise, our recent paper on the new Welsh student funding system has proved more controversial than anything HEPI has published since our 2016 paper on male underachievement. People seemed to find it helpful when we responded to the critique we received for Boys to Men. So I shall…

  • We need a step-change in higher technical learning to boost productivity

    22 October 2018

    This blog has been kindly provided by Scott Kelly, the author of two past HEPI reports: Raising productivity by improving higher technical education Reforming BTECs: Applied General qualifications as a route to higher education Scott was an adviser to the Minister for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning (2010-12) and lectures at…

  • How London Met was turned around

    18 October 2018

    Outgoing Vice-Chancellor says improving the prospects of thousands of students from deprived backgrounds is one of his proudest achievements Professor John Raftery said: ‘The turnaround since 2014 at London Metropolitan University is an example of what is possible when a university “gets a grip”, taking both ownership of its past…

  • Aligning Post-18 Entitlements and Apprenticeship Funding

    12 October 2018

    This guest blog has been kindly contributed by Mark Corney, who is a post-16 education and labour market consultant. Recommendations by the Independent Panel on Post-18 Education and Funding are awaiting advice from the Office for National Statistics on how income-contingent loans in higher education and adult further education should…

  • The Statistics Authority versus the DfE: Round X

    11 October 2018 by Nick Hillman

    At HEPI Towers, we’ve been discussing the latest spat between the UK Statistics Authority and the Department for Education about education spending. In a new exchange of letters, the Department has largely backed down. But I remain more sympathetic to their original position than, it seems, most people are. The…

  • Ten ways NOT to run an independent consultation

    9 October 2018 by Nick Hillman

    I have blogged before about the recent disappointing Migration Advisory Committee report on international students. Like many others, I had assumed it would be more helpful to the higher education sector than it turned out to be. But this should not be the end of the road because there is…