Policy paper

Education Sector Advisory Group minutes 22 November 2023

Updated 11 January 2024

Time, date and venue: 11:00 to 12:30, 22 November 2023, Department for Education, Sanctuary Buildings, London, and MS Teams.

Attendees

• Lord Offord, Minister for Exports, Department for Business and Trade – Chair
• Minister Halfon, Minister for Skills, Department for Education
• Prof. Sir Steve Smith, International Education Champion
• Maddalaine Ansell, Director of Education, British Council
• Caroline Wright, Chief Executive, British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA)
• Colin Bell, Chief Executive, Council of British International Schools (COBIS)
• Huan Japes, Membership Director (Deputising for Jodie Gray, Chair) English UK
• Alex Proudfoot, Chief Executive, Independent Higher Education (IHE)
• Jane Rexworthy, Chair, UK Skills Partnership
• Neil Leitch, Chief Executive, Early Years Alliance
• Jamie Arrowsmith, Director, Universities UK International (UUKi)
• Dan Conway, CEO, Publishers Association
• Annamarie Hassall, Chief Executive, National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN)
• Wendy Alexander – Scotland (Vice-Principal International at the University of Dundee and Scottish Trade Envoy).
• Prof. Jonathan Heggarty – Northern Ireland (Principal and CEO of Stranmillis University College, Belfast)

Apologies

• Dr Ben Calvert – Wales (Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, University of South Wales and Chair, Global Wales)

Welcome and opening remarks

Attendees were welcomed including members in the room in London and those joining from the Going Global Conference in Edinburgh. 2 new members were welcomed: Dan Conway (Publishers Association) and Annemarie Hassall (National Association for Special Educational Needs (NASEN).

Lord Offord and Minister Halfon underlined their ongoing commitment to the International Education Strategy (IES) and its ambitions to increase education exports to £35 billion per year and to host at least 600,000 international higher education students studying in the UK per year, both by 2030. They noted that a key focus for the future is on how members work together to diversify across all sectors to fulfil the potential of the UK’s entire education offer.

Skills

Jane Rexworthy, UK Skills Partnership, Technical and Vocational Education and Skills Training (TVET) Market Appreciation Summary Presentation

The presentation covered:

• current value and volume of UK skills internationally
• potential global TVET market growth opportunity
• barriers to unlocking that potential
• what is and can be done to unblock those barriers and increase the skills share of UK education exports to reach the £35 billion ambition in the IES

Key points of the discussion

The sector is impacted by a lack of funding through the Covid-19 pandemic and the ending of the Skills for Prosperity fund.

There is a lack of awareness amongst international audiences of the UK’s skills offer and opportunities.

There are challenges for the further education (FE) sector on:

• resourcing and how to build skills and share what is on offer on TVET so ambassadors have the appropriate knowledge when meeting partners
• UK visa restrictions for students at levels 4 and 5
• recognition of qualifications domestically impacting internationally - courses of interest abroad not being on the list at home

There is acknowledgement that a lot of work is being done but more is required to galvanise the sector on exporting the skills offer internationally.

Minister Halfon updated that the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) is attracting a lot of attention from international partners. Officials are scoping out opportunities that LLE presents internationally.

Jamie Arrowsmith, Universities UK International, Outward Facing Document

The IES is welcomed as an effective tool and focal point for the sector and government, setting out clear priorities and concrete actions. However, the export focus tends to detract from mutuality.

The UK should be a partner of choice. For a global audience the UK skills offer, covering all education sectors, should be framed as a narrative that complements the IES. This will be delivered through an outward facing document that promotes the UK’s entire education landscape – including skills. UUKi will lead on this working collaboratively with the ESAG sector members. This outward facing document will be endorsed by the government.

Minister Halfon reiterated his support for the narrative document and requested that the sector works together to develop it as soon as possible. There was a discussion about communication of the education offer internationally, including the use of web portals for interested parties domestically and internationally.

Early concerns about the recruitment challenges facing the HE sector were also raised.

Action 1: DfE/DBT officials to agree a timeline for the outward facing document and formally commission UUKi.

Action 2: DfE officials to follow up on potential options for the web portal.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

Lord Offord explained that SMEs generally have a good appreciation of University education and the value this offers to students but are often less familiar with a skills or vocational educational route and the value and benefits. SMEs have a big part to play with 2.5 million companies registered in the UK. However, only 10% are exporting.

DBT has tools and information to support SMEs to develop their exporting capability and capacity, such as Export Champions, International Trade Week (which reaches SMEs who are not exporting) and UK trade show support. It is important to get SMEs on side, to have communities as exemplars and to understand how the education sector can get a share of the SME upskill.

Action 3: DBT to share details of the tools to ESAG members.

Alex Proudfoot, Independent Higher Education (IHE), Supporting Education Sector SMEs to Export

SMEs are important to the eco-system. There is a comprehensive offer of support for SMEs but, in some cases, it is not tailored to education. There is no commitment currently to SMEs in the IES.

Action 4: DBT officials to consider inclusion of SMEs as part of an IES refresh.

There are 3 main barriers for SMEs to exporting – a lack of confidence, capability, and connections. Holding leadership roundtables, having a long-term strategic commitment, and providing roadmap training and advice can help SMEs to surmount these barriers.  

Actions for the sector include having collective representation, developing centralised expertise, and running a clearing house for contract opportunities and wraparound support for SMEs. Actions for the government include commitment to strategic vision and sector partnerships, dedicated resource to support SMEs, and to generate opportunities.  Further work is required to consider ideas and make recommendations to Ministers. An SME survey will be organised.

Action 5: IHE to meet with DfE and DBT officials on the next steps.

Caroline Wright, British Educational Suppliers Association, BESA Perspective

Exporting is where the growth is, and there needs to be financial help to bring revenue back to the UK. Barriers include being mindful of the UK policy impact; breadth of support available from DBT to support all SMEs; level of support for SMEs across different government departments; disruptions to the marketplace; engaging larger suppliers; lack of finance and funds; and closure of UK Tradeshows programme.

Lord Offord summarised that how we communicate with SMEs is important. We have a good toolbox to support SMEs and we want to work together to make this toolkit bespoke. SMEs should be encouraged by the sector to join the Export Academy. UK Tradeshows are only one element of a wider system. We are the only country with an overarching GREAT campaign.

International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith

Sir Steve has been in post over 3 and a half years, has attended 950 meetings with 455 overseas engagements.

Sir Steve reflected on his busy Going Global programme. Sir Steve then reflected on recent activities:

• overseas - included India mission (September) leading 31 UK HE institutions, Vietnam/Cambodia mission (October) joined by 17 universities and HEIs, and the Nigeria mission (November).

• UK-based - included meeting with Saudi Minister of Investment (September), media briefing for GCC/Saudi (October), meeting with ASEAN Secretary General, and pre-record for the AoBSO conference (20-22 November).

Future planned overseas visits include December 2023 Saudi Arabia HE mission and Saudi Arabia Human Capability initiative conference (26-29 February to 2 March 2024). UK-based planned activities include Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) Conference (November) and BETT UK (January 2024).

Lord Offord thanked Sir Steve for his work as the Champion.