HC Deb 19 April 1977 vol 930 cc4-5
2. Mr. Gwilym Roberts

asked the Secretary of State for Education and Science what consultations she has had on strengthening the links between industry and higher and further education.

The Secretary of State for Education and Science (Mrs. Shirley Williams)

I raise this important subject whenever the opportunity occurs in my frequent meetings with representatives of industry and the education service.

Mr. Roberts

Does my right hon. Friend agree that there is a very serious problem here? The situation seems to be that the great mass of students seem still to be attracted to courses that have little or no meaning outside the academic walls. Will she accept, with me, that something must be done at school level to improve the present links between schools and industries, and perhaps make more teachers conscious of the nature of industry itself

Mrs. Williams

Yes, Sir. We are already taking a number of actions in this field. I remind my hon. Friend, first, that we have increased the amount that students can receive in the form of sponsorship by industry without their losing mandatory grant. Second, we are discussing the possibility of an industrial scholarship scheme. Third, we are vigorously pursuing the possibility of local links between schools and firms, and, fourth, we are considering the possibility of more work experience for teachers in the course of their training and induction work.

Mr. Nelson

Would the right hon. Lady care to make a statement about the progress that has been made in the company teaching experiment as a means of improving the relationship between people involved with students in higher education and in industry? Will she, in particular, give consideration to extending this experiment by increasing the number of companies involved, since the present very limited amount will, I believe, have hardly any impact in improving the relationship between such students and industry?

Mrs. Williams

Yes, Sir. I understand that already there are five pilot schemes which link universities with associated firms, and very shortly another three universities will be announcing their own proposals. This is not a slow development; it is in fact rather rapid, since the whole matter started only a few months ago.

Mr. MacFarquhar

Does my right hon. Friend agree that one of the most important ways by which her Department can help industry is to help train business men in languages that they need in selling our exports abroad? Is it not rather regrettable that her Department seems to have no information on the number of courses available to business men who might wish to acquire a foreign language? Will she investigate this matter with a view to encouraging the training of business men and also obtaining some information on what is already being done?

Mrs. Williams

I thank my hon. Friend for that question. It raises some difficulties, because most of these courses are what are called full-cost courses, which are not run by the Department of Education and Science. I assure him that one of the matters that we are discussing very urgently with the Business Education Council and the Technician Education Council is the possibility of combining foreign languages with studies of engineering and technology, so that the new generation of business men may be better equipped than the present one.

Mr. Marten

What encouragement is being given to get graduates to go out into the world for, say, three years before going on to post-graduate courses?

Mrs. Williams

One of the matters that is presently being vigorously pursued by the University Grants Committee is a project for four-year undergraduate degree courses combining an area of practical work in industry with academic studies. I understand that there will be further announcements about this shortly.