Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that universities provide students with the skills most in demand by employers.

Higher education (HE) providers have duties to co-operate in the development and review of Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) developed by Employer Representative Bodies and have regard to the plan when making decisions in relation to their technical education or training provision.

LSIPs form a key part of the overall strategic planning system in an area. The plans set out the critical skill needs of employers in an area, up to and including HE, and the actions needed to address them. HE providers are a key partner in both the development and delivery of LSIPs.

The department will soon publish our plans for HE reform as part of the post-16 Skills White Paper.