§ Dr. Marekasked the Prime Minister what measures Her Majesty's Government are taking to increase the percentage of managers in British industry who have graduate qualifications and, in particular, business or management qualifications.
§ The Prime MinisterThe Government recognise the importance of increasing the proportion of managers with appropriate further and higher education qualifications. Between 1979 and 1984 the number of graduates going into industry and commerce increased by over 25 per cent. Over the same period the number of higher education students taking courses in management and business studies, including accountancy, rose from over 22,000 to over 31,000, an increase of over 40 per cent.
The Government's Green Paper "The Development of Higher Education into the 1990s"—May 1985—declared the intention of shifting the balance of qualifications and courses in favour of those with a relevance to industry and commerce.
Particular importance is attached to the updating and development of existing managers, through such means as the Department of Education and Science's PICKUP programme and part-time qualifications offered by universities, polytechnics, colleges and private sector institutions.