The future of higher education provision in the UK: workforce implications. A review of the literature: a report to HEFCE

Abstract

The concept of ‘university’ has been around for centuries and yet the majority of British universities have yet to reach their 50th birthday. The higher education sector has been through extensive change over a relatively short period of time and this is likely to continue in the future. This report was commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to consider the higher education workforce in the future in order to inform the 2010 Higher Education Workforce Framework (HEFCE 2010/05a). HEFCE commissioned the University of Hertfordshire to consider the future of higher education provision in the future. The report summarises: findings from the literature that are relevant to the HE sector from an economic analytical viewpoint; demographics; socio-political analysis; analysis of the education sector and research sector themselves; business process analysis; and other non-related futures studies that will impact on the future workforce.