Responding to today’s Pre-Budget Report, Alice Hynes Chief Executive Officer of the higher education representative body GuildHE, said:
 
“The delivery by higher education is one of the decade’s success stories and the Government has begun to recognise the complex connections between economic growth, education, innovation and entrepreneurial skills. It must be cautious what risks it takes with this dynamic sector if it makes higher education the target of sharp cuts.
 
“The requirement to make £600 million savings by 2012/13 from budgets across higher education, science and research including the student support budget will be severely demanding and we hope innovative thinking can be applied. GuildHE members will work with their UUK colleagues and HEFCE to look at ways to achieve outcomes which create the least damage, while maintaining the longer term health of the higher education sector. This places even more responsibility on Lord Browne’s review into higher education funding and student finance to factor in these additional expectations and bring into his coverage all potential funding sources.
 
”The Government must continue to recognise the significant role that all of higher education plays in delivering a skilled workforce that can engage in industries and professions that will take us out of recession and keep our place on the world stage. The entrepreneurial spirit that will be critical for the future is nurtured in the innovative learning and teaching within our universities and colleges especially in such areas as the creative, food and low carbon industries and the possibilities for graduate internships and continuing support for those from lower income groups to stay on the ladder towards, through and beyond higher education is very welcome.”
 
For more information, please contact:

Alice Hynes
Tel: 020 7387 7711
Email: alice.hynes@guildhe.ac.uk

Notes to editors

More information on the Pre-Budget Report is available here

GuildHE members are among the most dynamic and fastest-growing institutions in higher education. For a list of GuildHE institutions, please click here