Sir Howard Newby Chief Executive

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Increasing the supply of Mathematics
GraduatesHEFCEs Approach to Strategic and
Vulnerable Subjects
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Advice to Secretary of State

• Secretary of State request in 2004. Advice sought
  on whether there are any HE subjects or courses
  of national importance, where intervention would
  be appropriate to enable them to be available,
  and the types of intervention that could be
  considered
• Advisory Group chaired by Professor Sir Gareth
  Roberts
• Considered principles to define strategically
  important and vulnerable subjects in HE
• Set out the principles to focus further
  interventions
• Final report http//www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/20
  05/05_24

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Advisory Groups recommendations for HEFCE

• We have a healthy and dynamic HE system in this
  country
• Because of that HEFCE should guard against an
  overly interventionist role in the market
• But HEFCE are able to take an overall view of the
  system

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Ground rules for future HEFCE intervention

• Funding body without planning powers
• Will need to work with the intended and
  unintended consequences of the (quasi) market
  from 2006
• Working in collaboration with other agencies
• Must look holistically- supply-side answers will
  not solve demand-side problems
• Must consider interdisciplinarity

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Strategic and vulnerable subjects

• Science, technology, engineering and mathematics
• Issues of demand/supply
• Research capability
• Area studies and related minority languages
• Modern foreign languages
• Land-based studies
• Quantitative social science

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Raising demand

• Projects to raise attainment and aspiration, and
  to make courses more attractive
• Need to consider how to increase and widen
  participation
• Current projects
• Chemistry the Next Generation
• RAISE
• London Engineering Project
• Proposed projects in mathematics, computing, and
  physics

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Proposals should demonstrate

• Commitment to collaborative partnership e.g.
  Action on Access, Aimhigher, HE Academy, CETLs,
  RDAs, other STEM-based initiatives
• Clear demonstration of sector engagement
• Evidence-based approach to interventions
• Consideration of regional differences
• Clear framework for monitoring and evaluation
• Appropriate governance and risk management
• Sustainability and evidence of long term
  planning.

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Lessons from other subjects

• Early involvement of schools, colleges and
  employers
• Importance of collaboration at strategic and
  operational level
• Challenges and opportunities of working with
  multiple partners and agencies
• Targeting relevant activities at right groups
• Importance of governance and management
• Take risks and challenge conservatism but dont
  reinvent the wheel

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The Way Forward

• HEFCE to consider a full proposal from IMA and
  partners in Spring 2006
• Collaborative meeting of all STEM projects in 6
  months time
• Likely STEM conference in summer 2006

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Contacts
John Rushforth, j.rushforth_at_hefce.ac.uk Fiona
Hoban, f.hoban_at_hefce.ac.uk Jennifer Allen,
j.allen_at_hefce.ac.uk