Some consistent themes run through the case for interventions by national and local governments to support the expansion of higher education in England, which has extended from the investment in civic universities in the late 19th early 20th centuries to the encouragement of new providers through the 2017 Higher Education and Research Act.
Firstly, a democratic desire to improve opportunities for and meet increasing demand from young people and their families, as well as adults wanting to re-enter learning alongside work and household responsibilities. Secondly, an instrumental goal to invest in the broad knowledge and specific skills developed through higher education to meet anticipated demand from employers, and thereby enhance social and economic prosperity. Thirdly, a civic faith in the ability of universities and colleges to raise ambitions and shape pathways through lives and careers, to attract and retain people and investment, and to develop and contribute to unifying local and national cultures through all aspects of their missions.
All of these elements can be found in the early 21st century vision for expanding English higher education typified by the then Prime Minister’s statement above. In advanced societies and economies, it was argued, what you know, demonstrated by your educational credentials, would be more important than who you know and where you start from. By increasing higher education participation and taking it to new places, governments could equalise opportunities. This would both unlock potential by raising and rewarding the attainment and ambitions of young people and adults, and it would enhance human capital, which would shape and meet the needs of increasingly knowledge and technology-oriented businesses and public services.
This vision was broadly sustained by governments of all parties until 2019, albeit with increasing reliance on regulated competition rather than government grant to achieve it. Universities and colleges would be engines of social mobility and productivity, but they would need to become more accessible to under-represented people and places, including by diversifying the cost, mode and location of delivery to meet the needs of a wider cohort of students. This would include a higher proportion of courses enabling people to study part-time, at intermediate levels and whilst in work.
The intention was to enable learners to choose between different modes and combinations of academic, professional, technical and creative education, at different times of life, and through different types of higher education provider. Given the right information, their choices would themselves meet the needs of employers in open and changing labour markets, which would reward graduates who could demonstrate their flexibility and adaptability to the needs of knowledge and technology-oriented businesses and public services.