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Focusing minds: David Willetts wants to see more women in STEM subjects

David Willetts wants to ¡°go further¡± in letting more people study for second degrees on state-backed loans, rolling back Labour¡¯s unpopular decision to block such funding.

Speaking to ߣߣÊÓƵ at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester this week, the universities and science minister also said that the sector needed to ¡°recognise the risk¡± it faces with Labour and its ?6,000 fees policy.

In a speech at the conference, Mr?Willetts announced that fee loans would be extended to part-time students in engineering, technology and computer science who already have degrees in different disciplines.

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This is a small-scale reversal of Labour¡¯s 2008 decision to withdraw funding for students taking equivalent or lower-level qualifications (ELQs) to those they already hold.

In his speech, Mr Willetts framed the move as part of a drive to encourage more women to study engineering subjects.

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However, he told THE that he had been persuaded that ¡°one reason for the part-time slump is the effect of ELQ¡±.

His comments come in the same week that a report published by the Higher Education Policy Institute suggests that loans have not been offered to enough part-time students to arrest a decline in the numbers taking such courses.

Mr Willetts said he would like to ¡°go further, step by step¡± and remove the ELQ bar in more subjects. ¡°One could dream of a world where we just get rid of it, but I think we¡¯re not in that territory. But you could do it incrementally,¡± he added.

The cost of the move in engineering and technology subjects will eventually rise to ?23?million a year, the government estimates.

After his speech, Mr?Willetts spoke at a fringe event alongside Bill?Rammell, the former Labour higher education minister who introduced the ELQ bar.

Mr Rammell, now vice-chancellor of the University of Bedfordshire, said that the reform was welcome ¡°at one level¡±.

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But he asked where the money would come from. ¡°If it is coming from restricting access for full-time, first-degree entrants, then I think that is a cause for concern,¡± Mr?Rammell?told the event.

But Mr?Willetts told THE: ¡°The part-time loan budget, sadly, is underspent¡­So we have that room.¡±

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The minister also announced that ?200?million of capital funding secured in the most recent spending round ¨C match-funded by universities or company sponsorship ¨C would be allocated for teaching facilities in science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects.

The funding ¨C again aimed at getting more women studying STEM subjects ¨C will be allocated on a competitive basis, with ¡°evidence of commitment to equality and diversity¡± sought in bids.

Mr Willetts said that ¡°some version of Athena Swan¡± showing institutional strategies for increasing diversity ¡°will focus minds¡±, adding that the lack of women in some STEM subjects was ¡°a waste of talent¡±.

In 2011, Labour unveiled a policy to lower fees to ?6,000 if it were in power. Mr Willetts called Labour¡¯s policy ¡°a real threat to the financial viability of our universities¡± and to standards of student education.

He added: ¡°All my intelligence says there¡¯s a bit of an argument going on within Labour whether to?stick with the ?6,000 fee policy.¡±

Asked if he might be moved in a reshuffle, Mr Willetts said: ¡°I think it is bad form for ministers to speculate about their own jobs.¡±

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john.morgan@tsleducation.com