爆料王

Last month, the government announced its post-16 education and skills white paper, setting out its proposals for reforming the education landscape for young people aged 16-years-old and over. 

The plans broadly seek to ensure that education aligns more closely with the needs of the labour market to support economic growth, and for young people, through stronger vocational pathways, it aims to break down barriers to opportunities and secure employment.

With such wide-ranging reforms to further and higher education in the pipeline, the National Union of Students (NUS) was quick to act in ensuring that students鈥� voices and experiences were central to policies stemming from the white paper proposals. Recently, the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Students met to explore the white paper. It was chaired by Alex Sobel MP and welcomed Josh Dean MP, Alex Stanley Vice President Higher Education at NUS and Rose Stephenson from the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), alongside representatives from UCB鈥檚 Guild of Students and other students鈥� unions.

Soham Chougale, Education Officer for the UCB Guild of Students, took part: 鈥淚 was honoured to be a panellist alongside student leaders and sector experts,鈥� he said. 

鈥淭he discussions were productive and centred on how policy changes such as the new V-levels and fee structures might shape students鈥� futures, alongside concerns over the proposed levy on international student fees, and the risk that could pose to student choice and equity in the sector.鈥�