Lord Johnson of Marylebone

The government’s update to the International Education Strategy, published in February 2021, sets out the importance of education partnerships and of identifying key opportunities for foreign direct investment into the United Kingdom. India is set out as a priority country for education engagement in this strategy. It is a key focus for the UK’s International Education Champion, Sir Steve Smith.

The 2030 Roadmap for India-UK future relations explicitly references education and research, and commits the department to expanding cooperation between its higher education institutions.

The Higher Education and Research Act 2017 sets out that the Office for Students (OfS) must establish and maintain a register of English higher education (HE) providers. New providers wishing to register with the OfS must be, or intend to become, an English HE provider. The OfS publishes advice and application documents for providers seeking to register on its website. This is available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/regulation/how-to-register/.

The Office for Students (OfS) considers financial sustainability and business plans when assessing providers during registration.

The OfS is planning further work on minimising regulatory burden on all providers, including those who are new and/or small, to support them to focus on high quality teaching and research. More detail on this, together with its regulatory approach, will be published later this month in the OfS’s new strategy for 2022 to 2025.

The OfS also currently minimises the impact of its regulatory approach on micro and new providers by limiting its registration fees for those providers.

The Higher Education (HE) (Registration Fees) (England) Regulations 2021 continue to contain a micro-entity exemption. This exemption protects the very smallest HE providers (employing up to 50 people) by providing a 100% registration fee exemption.

These most recent regulations also retain protections for new providers in relation to registration fees: the regulations continue to allow for the OfS to charge reduced fees to those new institutions who decide to register with it.

Validation agreements are confidential commercial contractual arrangements between two parties and so neither the Department for Education, nor the Office for Students, holds this information.

The Office for Students has offered the new degree awarding power’s (DAPs) application route since 2018. Full information on this is available here: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/regulation/degree-awarding-powers/.

Information about the new DAPs option for providers is also included in the regulatory framework, which was published in 2018.

Action 6 of the International Education Strategy 2021 update focuses on the employability of international students. Sector representatives are collaborating to build an understanding of the UK’s skills needs, international labour markets, and barriers to international graduate employability. They will also share examples of best practice across the sector.

The department supports these efforts by expanding data resources available in relation to international student graduate outcomes. My noble Friend will be aware from recent answers to Questions HL5793 and HL5795 that the department now publishes employment and study outcomes one, three, five, and ten years after graduation for all international students who remain in the UK after study and contribute to the UK economy.

Graduate outcomes surveys are carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). This includes international graduates surveys. In response to my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Higher and Further Education’s announcements on reducing bureaucracy for the higher education sector in September 2020 and lowering the cost to providers of participating in HESA data collections, there has been some scaling back of HESA’s graduate outcomes survey methodology. This impacts 2020/21 academic year graduates. The survey will be published in spring 2023.

Non-EU international graduates will continue to participate in the survey. The process of contacting international graduates by telephone, if they have not already participated online, is discontinued. This has resulted in a lowering of the subscription cost of graduate outcomes to higher education providers by approximately £350,000. HESA continues to explore and implement strategies aimed at increasing online response rates.

The value of the HESA graduate outcomes survey data is not solely determined by its response rates. The current response rate target for the survey of international graduates is at 20%. This is high for social surveys. Over the last three years, the survey has achieved on average a 30% response rate for this group. This is 5 percentage points above the previous target. Around half of these responses were collected over the telephone.

Conclusions drawn on the international graduate outcomes will be driven by how representative the students who respond to the survey are of the overall student population. The Office for Students intends to undertake research looking at the outcomes for international students. It will re-introduce telephone contact, should it significantly impact the conclusions that can be drawn from the data.

Action 6 of the International Education Strategy 2021 update focuses on the employability of international students. Sector representatives are collaborating to build an understanding of the UK’s skills needs, international labour markets, and barriers to international graduate employability. They will also share examples of best practice across the sector.

The department supports these efforts by expanding data resources available in relation to international student graduate outcomes. My noble Friend will be aware from recent answers to Questions HL5793 and HL5795 that the department now publishes employment and study outcomes one, three, five, and ten years after graduation for all international students who remain in the UK after study and contribute to the UK economy.

Graduate outcomes surveys are carried out by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). This includes international graduates surveys. In response to my right hon. Friend, the Minister for Higher and Further Education’s announcements on reducing bureaucracy for the higher education sector in September 2020 and lowering the cost to providers of participating in HESA data collections, there has been some scaling back of HESA’s graduate outcomes survey methodology. This impacts 2020/21 academic year graduates. The survey will be published in spring 2023.

Non-EU international graduates will continue to participate in the survey. The process of contacting international graduates by telephone, if they have not already participated online, is discontinued. This has resulted in a lowering of the subscription cost of graduate outcomes to higher education providers by approximately £350,000. HESA continues to explore and implement strategies aimed at increasing online response rates.

The value of the HESA graduate outcomes survey data is not solely determined by its response rates. The current response rate target for the survey of international graduates is at 20%. This is high for social surveys. Over the last three years, the survey has achieved on average a 30% response rate for this group. This is 5 percentage points above the previous target. Around half of these responses were collected over the telephone.

Conclusions drawn on the international graduate outcomes will be driven by how representative the students who respond to the survey are of the overall student population. The Office for Students intends to undertake research looking at the outcomes for international students. It will re-introduce telephone contact, should it significantly impact the conclusions that can be drawn from the data.

We are committed to ensuring every T Level student completes a high-quality industry placement, which involves genuine and meaningful experience working with employers.

We are monitoring the delivery of T Level industry placements to make sure that the first two cohorts of T Level students have a full placement secured but we are currently not collecting, nor planning to collect, data on what proportion of placement hours students are spending in a workplace setting. We have introduced some temporary industry placement flexibilities for the first two cohorts of T Level students in direct response to the delivery challenges caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. This will ensure that students can successfully complete their industry placement and therefore pass their T Level. This includes allowing some of the placement hours to be delivered remotely. We have been clear that these flexibilities are to be used by exception only, that they are temporary and that the provision of in-person placements remains the expectation.

The department is committed to ensuring students have access to high quality industry placements and have provided an extensive programme of employer and provider support to help with the delivery and scale up of placements. We have invested £200 million over the past four years to help providers build their capacity and networks with employers to deliver high quality placements and we have published practical industry placement delivery guidance for both education providers and employers. We also have comprehensive packages of support in place for both providers and employers, which offer them tailored advice and hands-on support to deliver high-quality placements.

To ensure access to placements, we have implemented several different delivery models to ensure placements are accessible and meaningful for all students, across all industries and locations. We are also engaging directly with employers through the department’s employer engagement teams to provide a strong pipeline of employers for the future, across all sectors and across the country, ready to offer placements. We have established a T Level employer ambassador network to engage with others in their industries on T Levels and placements, and our communications campaigns are continuing to raise the profile of T Levels and industry placements to an employer audience.

We will continue to monitor placement provision and work closely with providers and employers to identify any potential barriers to the delivery of placements for each of the T Levels, including access, and identify appropriate mitigations.

The department will continue to fund a range of qualifications similar to current applied general qualifications. These can be taken alongside and as alternatives to A levels where they are necessary, high-quality and support progression to higher education. Through the post-16 qualifications review, these qualifications will need to meet new quality criteria to ensure they are well-designed and have strong progression value to be funded in future. This means that students, employers, and universities can have confidence in their value.

The moratorium on approving new qualifications at level 3 and below for public funding for students aged 16 and over in England was introduced in September 2020. It was introduced for a period of three years, subject to annual review, and is intended to stabilise the publicly funded qualifications offer before wider reform is implemented. There are two exemptions to the moratorium. These are for qualifications developed in response to economic need and where qualification content has been updated to keep it relevant.

Qualifications which meet these two exemption criteria continue to be approved for funding. The Education, Skills and Funding Agency is due to confirm ongoing arrangements linked to the moratorium in March 2022.

The current moratorium is not intended to constrain the design or delivery of new qualifications where they meet the exemption criteria. The moratorium exemption criteria allow awarding organisations to design qualifications in response to two situations. The first is employer need, for instance in response to regional skills need or a new job role. The second is to meet learner need, for instance ensuring the content of the qualification the student is undertaking remains relevant and current.

These criteria should not prohibit awarding organisations in being innovative in how they design qualifications to meet new skills needs or update their qualifications to ensure students are undertaking relevant content. The current moratorium allows awarding organisations to submit a new qualification for funding approval where it has been designed in response to economic need (this is known as a type 3 exemption). Qualifications submitted under this exemption may be approved where appropriate evidence of economic need is submitted, and the qualification meets all other approval criteria.

Since the start of the moratorium, 40 qualifications have been submitted under the exemption type 3 criteria and 16 have been approved.

The moratorium on approving new qualifications at level 3 and below for public funding for students aged 16 and over in England was introduced in September 2020. It was introduced for a period of three years, subject to annual review, and is intended to stabilise the publicly funded qualifications offer before wider reform is implemented. There are two exemptions to the moratorium. These are for qualifications developed in response to economic need and where qualification content has been updated to keep it relevant.

Qualifications which meet these two exemption criteria continue to be approved for funding. The Education, Skills and Funding Agency is due to confirm ongoing arrangements linked to the moratorium in March 2022.

The current moratorium is not intended to constrain the design or delivery of new qualifications where they meet the exemption criteria. The moratorium exemption criteria allow awarding organisations to design qualifications in response to two situations. The first is employer need, for instance in response to regional skills need or a new job role. The second is to meet learner need, for instance ensuring the content of the qualification the student is undertaking remains relevant and current.

These criteria should not prohibit awarding organisations in being innovative in how they design qualifications to meet new skills needs or update their qualifications to ensure students are undertaking relevant content. The current moratorium allows awarding organisations to submit a new qualification for funding approval where it has been designed in response to economic need (this is known as a type 3 exemption). Qualifications submitted under this exemption may be approved where appropriate evidence of economic need is submitted, and the qualification meets all other approval criteria.

Since the start of the moratorium, 40 qualifications have been submitted under the exemption type 3 criteria and 16 have been approved.

The moratorium on approving new qualifications at level 3 and below for public funding for students aged 16 and over in England was introduced in September 2020. It was introduced for a period of three years, subject to annual review, and is intended to stabilise the publicly funded qualifications offer before wider reform is implemented. There are two exemptions to the moratorium. These are for qualifications developed in response to economic need and where qualification content has been updated to keep it relevant.

Qualifications which meet these two exemption criteria continue to be approved for funding. The Education, Skills and Funding Agency is due to confirm ongoing arrangements linked to the moratorium in March 2022.

The current moratorium is not intended to constrain the design or delivery of new qualifications where they meet the exemption criteria. The moratorium exemption criteria allow awarding organisations to design qualifications in response to two situations. The first is employer need, for instance in response to regional skills need or a new job role. The second is to meet learner need, for instance ensuring the content of the qualification the student is undertaking remains relevant and current.

These criteria should not prohibit awarding organisations in being innovative in how they design qualifications to meet new skills needs or update their qualifications to ensure students are undertaking relevant content. The current moratorium allows awarding organisations to submit a new qualification for funding approval where it has been designed in response to economic need (this is known as a type 3 exemption). Qualifications submitted under this exemption may be approved where appropriate evidence of economic need is submitted, and the qualification meets all other approval criteria.

Since the start of the moratorium, 40 qualifications have been submitted under the exemption type 3 criteria and 16 have been approved.

The government does not currently have plans to request the Office for Students (OfS) to publish a code of practice governing universities’ use of recruitment agents and sub-agents.

As set out in the International Education Strategy, the government is committed to working with the sector to enhance international student experience with specific actions that aim to make the application process clearer with more accessible information for potential students.

A range of resources are available to higher education (HE) providers working with agents, such as the British Council good practice guidance and the London statement. Both are available here: https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/education-agents/good-practice-guidance-uk-information. The British Universities’ International Liaison Association also supports the professional and personal development of HE staff members with training events, including on the topic of working with agents. This information is available at: https://www.buila.ac.uk/training.

The department is working closely with partners including the OfS and UCAS to prevent, detect and deter fraud within the HE sector.

The department publishes information about the earnings of international graduates from English higher education (HE) providers and colleges who remain in the UK for employment one, three, five and ten years after graduating from a first degree in its annual Graduate Outcomes (LEO)[1] publication. Latest available data refers to outcomes in the 2018-19 financial year and are published in Table 45 at the following link: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo/2018-19.

Table 1 in the attached spreadsheet summarises the earnings outcomes of international first degree graduates from English HE providers and colleges one year after graduation for the past five tax years. Data is only published for the 2014-15 financial year onwards.

The department also publishes employment outcomes and earnings for international postgraduates from English HE institutions in the Graduate Outcomes (LEO): Postgraduate outcomes[2] publication. Table 2 in the attached spreadsheet summarises the outcomes of international level 7 (taught and research) and level 8 postgraduates of English HE institutions, one year after graduation for the past five tax years. Data is only published for the 2014/15 financial year onwards.

The government values the positive, significant economic contribution international students make during and post study. No official numerical estimate is held by the department.

The graduate route provides greater incentives for international students to work in the UK post-study. The linked graduate route’s impact assessment, available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/966659/Graduate_Route_Impact_Assessment.pdf, shows that while on the graduate route, graduates will be able to work and look for work, which is expected to generate income to the Exchequer from direct and indirect tax contributions. This is estimated to lead to a benefit to public finances of between £6.7 and £15.2 billion with a central estimate of £10.7 billion (10-year present value, 2021/22 financial year prices).

[1] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo/2018-19

[2] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo-postgraduate-outcomes

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes data on the outcomes of graduates 15 months after qualifying from higher education in the Graduate Outcomes (GO) survey. This survey is unique in that it collects detailed information from the individual about their employment or further study, which allows HESA to determine the industry and occupation of employment. Further information about the survey is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.

The survey results include information on the outcomes of graduates who were domiciled overseas prior to study. For those remaining in the UK, the industry and occupation of employment is available in the GO Open Data here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates/table-19 and https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates/table-22.

Information is available for graduates in academic years 2017/18 and 2018/19. Counts in the tables are of survey respondents rather than all members of graduating cohorts. In 2018/19, the response rate, including partial survey responses, was 51% and 34% for EU and non-EU domiciled graduates respectively. Further statistics can be found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/sb260/figure-3. Breakdowns by country of nationality are not published.

Prior to 2017/18, HESA collected data on the outcomes of graduates 6 months after qualifying from higher education in the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education survey. Data from this survey series are available in HESA’s publication archive, found here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/publications#destinations-leavers-higher-education.

Though non-EU international graduates were invited to take part in the survey, the level of response was not considered suitable for publication.

As set out in government’s International Education Strategy (IES), we are committed to growing the value of education exports with two key ambitions to achieve by 2030: increasing education exports to £35 billion per year, and hosting at least 600,000 international higher education students in the UK per year.

We are making good progress against these ambitions. For example, the international students ambition was met for the first time in the academic year 2020/21 with 605,130 international students studying in the UK.

The government continues to work with the sector to enhance international student experience, from application to employment, as well as promoting and sustaining the growth of education exports and international student numbers. The actions set out in strategy include items relating to the student application process, graduate outcomes and employability, academic experience for international students and alternative student finance opportunities. We have committed to review progress regularly against the IES and its ambitions.

The Office for Students (OfS) published consultations on improving the quality of higher education (HE) in England on 20 January and set out in detail the numerical thresholds which will underpin minimum acceptable student outcomes.

International students studying at English HE providers are included in the proposed student outcome measures on continuation and completion rates. If the proposals are adopted, the performance of international students studying at registered higher education providers in England will be considered as part of the OfS’ regulatory assessments. The OfS is not proposing at this stage to include international students in the measures on progression to graduate employment or further study owing to the continuing difficulty in securing a high response rate in surveys for this subset of graduates.

Our HE sector is world class but, in line with the government’s manifesto commitment, we are taking serious steps with the OfS to drive up the quality of HE across the sector and to tackle the unacceptable pockets of poor-quality provision which do not offer value for money for the taxpayer or students.

Universities and colleges not meeting these minimum expectations will face investigation and consideration of whether they are in breach of their registration conditions, which could lead to sanctions, including fines and reduced access to student finance. These minimum levels are just one factor the OfS will consider. As is currently the case, and as described in the consultation document, the OfS will continue to consider a provider’s wider context, including its student characteristics, before making any final decisions on compliance with registration conditions.

This government believes that every student, regardless of background, deserves quality and transparency from their university or provider about their course. These measures are about tackling low quality, and, through the revised Teaching and Excellence Framework, rewarding high quality, and ensuring transparency which, overall, will maintain confidence in our HE sector.

The department publishes data about international graduates from English higher education (HE) providers and colleges who remain in the UK for employment or study one, three, five and ten years after graduating from a first degree in its annual Graduate Outcomes (LEO)[1] publication. Latest available data for international first degree graduates refer to outcomes in the 2018-19 financial year and are published in Table 45 here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo/2018-19.

Table 1 in the attached spreadsheet summarises the outcomes of international first degree graduates from English HE providers and colleges one year after graduation for the past five tax years. Data is only published for financial year 2014-15 onwards.

The department also publishes employment outcomes and earnings for international postgraduates from English HE institutions in the LEO: Postgraduate outcomes[2] publication. Table 2 in the attached spreadsheet summarises the outcomes of international level 7 (taught and research) and level 8 postgraduates of English HE institutions, one year after graduation for the past five tax years. Data is only published for financial year 2014-15 onwards.

In the attachment, minor methodological adjustments were made to the published LEO percentage outcome calculations so that graduates in sustained employment, further study or both in the UK are given as a proportion of all graduates (published LEO calculations exclude those identified by the Department for Work and Pensions records as overseas from the denominator).

The publications also include breakdowns of graduates by country but focus on the 20 countries with the highest number of graduates in the 2016/17 academic year. These are available in Table 53 and Table 25 of the respective publications.

Another important data source that measures the outcomes of graduates from the UK HE system is the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s Graduate Outcomes survey. This includes supplementary information about graduate outcomes, such as details of their employment destinations. Further information about the survey is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.

[1] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo/2018-19.

[2] https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo-postgraduate-outcomes.

The department publishes data about international graduates from English higher education providers and colleges who remain in the UK for employment or study one, three, five and ten years after graduating from a first degree in its annual Graduate Outcomes (LEO) publication. Latest available data refer to outcomes in the 2018-19 tax year and are published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo/2018-19.

The department also publishes employment outcomes and earnings for international postgraduates from English higher education institutions in the Graduate Outcomes (LEO): Postgraduate outcomes publication. Latest available data refer to outcomes in the 2018-19 tax year and are published here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/graduate-outcomes-leo-postgraduate-outcomes.

Another important data source that measures the outcomes of graduates from the UK higher education system is the Higher Education Statistics Agency’s Graduate Outcomes survey. This data gives a more rounded picture of graduate destinations than LEO data as it includes those employed or studying overseas. Further information about that survey is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/graduates.

As set out in the government’s International Education Strategy, we are committed to growing the value of education exports with two key ambitions to achieve by 2030: increasing education exports to £35 billion per year, and hosting at least 600,000 international higher education students in the UK per year.

We are making good progress against these ambitions. In 2019, total UK revenue from education related exports and transnational education activity was estimated to be £25.2 billion, an increase of 8.1% since 2018 in current prices. The ambition for international students was met for the first time in the academic year 2020/21 with 605,130 international students studying in the UK.

Promoting and sustaining the growth of education exports and international student numbers remains a priority for this government. We have committed to review progress regularly against the strategy and we will keep the strategy and its ambitions under review.

As set out in the government’s International Education Strategy, we are committed to growing the value of education exports with two key ambitions to achieve by 2030: increasing education exports to £35 billion per year, and hosting at least 600,000 international higher education students in the UK per year.

We are making good progress against these ambitions. In 2019, total UK revenue from education related exports and transnational education activity was estimated to be £25.2 billion, an increase of 8.1% since 2018 in current prices. The ambition for international students was met for the first time in the academic year 2020/21 with 605,130 international students studying in the UK.

Promoting and sustaining the growth of education exports and international student numbers remains a priority for this government. We have committed to review progress regularly against the strategy and we will keep the strategy and its ambitions under review.

The Government wishes to attract international students to study in the UK as they enhance our educational institutions both financially and culturally.

The Student Route has robust safeguards to prevent the types of historic immigration abuse seen a decade ago on the previous Tier 4 route, with international students now being a highly compliant cohort.

UKVI decision-makers can carry out verification checks on documents submitted with an application and may interview applicants to assess their credibility and intentions. Anyone who has used false documents, misrepresented their personal circumstances or practiced deception by any other means, will have their application refused and may face a ban on making further applications for up to 10 years.

All policy, including around financial and credibility requirements, is kept under review. UKVI also carry out a range of activities to assist sponsors in maintaining the integrity of the route, allowing them to identify possible risks and establish best practice.

The Government wishes to attract international students to study in the UK as they enhance our educational institutions both financially and culturally.

The Student Route has robust safeguards to prevent the types of historic immigration abuse seen a decade ago on the previous Tier 4 route, with international students now being a highly compliant cohort.

UKVI decision-makers can carry out verification checks on documents submitted with an application and may interview applicants to assess their credibility and intentions. Anyone who has used false documents, misrepresented their personal circumstances or practiced deception by any other means, will have their application refused and may face a ban on making further applications for up to 10 years.

All policy, including around financial and credibility requirements, is kept under review. UKVI also carry out a range of activities to assist sponsors in maintaining the integrity of the route, allowing them to identify possible risks and establish best practice.

The Government wishes to attract international students to study in the UK as they enhance our educational institutions both financially and culturally.

The Student Route has robust safeguards to prevent the types of historic immigration abuse seen a decade ago on the previous Tier 4 route, with international students now being a highly compliant cohort.

UKVI decision-makers can carry out verification checks on documents submitted with an application and may interview applicants to assess their credibility and intentions. Anyone who has used false documents, misrepresented their personal circumstances or practiced deception by any other means, will have their application refused and may face a ban on making further applications for up to 10 years.

All policy, including around financial and credibility requirements, is kept under review. UKVI also carry out a range of activities to assist sponsors in maintaining the integrity of the route, allowing them to identify possible risks and establish best practice.