Salford University has been awarded almost £3 million to prepare the ground for the Government's commitment to a massive increase in the number of adults with higher-level skills, as set out in the Leitch report on skills.
The £2.99 million grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England will be used to investigate how higher education could better work with industry to provide employer-led education and training that can be delivered in the workplace. The Leitch report said at least 40 per cent of adults should have degree-level skills by 2020, compared with about a third today.
Renata Eyres of Salford's external and enterprise division submitted the proposal. "In industry, employers need to know and understand exactly what higher education can provide, how much it will cost, how quickly and efficiently it will be delivered and what the benefits to the organisation will be," she said.
"We'll be helping to determine these costs as well as exploring new ways for businesses to work with universities for the benefit of their workforces. This project is designed to provide solutions," she added.