Universities ramp up employer engagement as criticisms intensify

British universities are set to meet with employers to discuss how education providers can help better prepare students for the world of work as polls suggest most people think universities could be doing more to help the country succeed.

Universities UK (UUK) has announced plans to hold events in cities across the country this spring to discuss how the higher education sector should evolve to help address changing needs, including the emergence of AI, global insecurity and the need for greater regional economic growth.

A poll commissioned by the membership body found that seven out of 10 people think universities could do more to help the country succeed. The majority of the public (86 per cent) also said they thought the country’s future prosperity will “depend on its ability to make the most of the skills and talent of the entire population”, while 74 per cent thought universities have an important role to play.

Universities “recognise that we must continue to evolve to meet the country’s needs and to play our full part…in building long-term prosperity”, said Malcolm Press, president of UUK.

“Over the months ahead, universities across the country will be engaging to listen, to learn, and to go further in supporting businesses with the skills and innovation they need to grow and, crucially, ensure more graduates are able to access high quality jobs.”

Universities face pressure to retain students at a time of immense financial strain, but the worth of degrees is increasingly being called into question, particularly when it comes to career and salary prospects.

A YouGov survey published in 2025 found that 53 per cent of graduates who started at an English university after tuition fees passed £9,000 believe they received poor value for money.

More recently, there have been heated debates about the student loan system in England, with high interest loans leaving many graduates facing ever-increasing levels of debt. 

Meanwhile, new data published by BAE Systems, a defence company that is one of the country’s largest apprenticeship providers, found almost two-thirds of parents (63 per cent) would prefer their child to pursue an apprenticeship over going to university.

In a survey of 1,000 young people aged 16–24 and 1,000 parents of the same age group, 63 per cent of young people said they would be likely to consider an apprenticeship as an alternative to university.

Just over half (55 per cent) of young people surveyed believed apprenticeships are as respected as university degrees.

Last year, prime minister Keir Starmer replaced Labour’s long-held target of 50 per cent of young people going to university with the goal of two-thirds going onto higher education or an apprenticeship. 

In a statement, UUK said the sector would challenge itself and ask “difficult questions”, with the new consultation dubbed a “national conversation” with employers “to hear about the skills and experience that graduates will need to give them resilience over their careers”.

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com