Category: Contractor Industry News

Reducing university funding would damage the nation's businesses, one industry commentator has warned.

Higher education facilities have a "hugely significant" impact on regional and national economies, said Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK.

There is a tremendous amount of collaborative investment between universities and businesses, she continued, which should not be threatened.

Ms Dandridge commented: "There is a real concern that if public funding is cut, then that support for businesses will be lost.

"We should be investing in our universities not despite the recession but precisely because of it just as indeed our competitor countries in the world are doing."

More graduate skills are needed, not less, if the economy is to flourish, she added.

According to the 2009 Impact Report, universities contribute around £31 billion each year to the nation's economy.

Despite this, their impact is underestimated by many, with only one in six questioned by Universities UK realising their employment levels.

Posted by Sarah Putt