Summary
Gareth Smith, chief of strategy and student life at UA92 (the higher education institution co-founded by Lancaster University and members of Manchester United's Class of '92), has criticised the framing of vocational training as an alternative to university degrees. Instead, Smith argues universities should be reformed to embed employability outcomes into every programme regardless of subject, ending what he calls a false binary choice between academic and vocational education.
Smith, who previously worked with Andy Burnham on the Manchester Baccalaureate, said universities have a responsibility to be honest about graduate outcomes and that students deserve to understand career prospects before committing years and thousands of pounds. He cited English Literature as an example of a subject with consistently weak employment outcomes, and argued that universities thriving over the next decade will be those embedding industry projects, placements and professional qualifications into every degree from day one.
The call reflects broader concerns among employers about skills gaps. Entrepreneur Gareth Hoyle, founder of Yorkshire digital marketing agency Marketing Signals, highlighted that employability increasingly depends on practical capabilities such as AI tool use rather than A-level grades alone, suggesting the labour market is shifting faster than traditional educational pathways can respond.
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Common questions
- What is this article about?
- Gareth Smith, chief of strategy at Manchester's UA92, has argued that Andy Burnham's vocational training push doesn't go far enough, calling instead for universities to design all degrees around employment outcomes. Smith says the real reform should challenge universities to demonstrate that industry projects and placements are embedded in every course from day one.
- When was this published?
- This article was published on 29 July 2026.
- Who published this article?
- This article was published by Prolific North.