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SSince the Covid-19 crisis erupted, universities have provided equipment, research expertise, training, and, by releasing our students from health care in the early workforce, including NHS workers. Universities have supported the national effort, but now need a funding boost to help rebuild Britain through robust public services.
This crisis has highlighted our vital public service workers, particularly those in medicine, nursing, teaching, allied health professions, and social work. Caught in an emergency almost too big to understand, they have been resolved. By asking them to step forward, remain calm, and carry the country on their shoulders, they have responded to the call with extraordinary courage.
Much of this workforce is made up of college graduates. In fact, some of them are still studying, they are asked to step in before graduation and risk their health in a time of dire need. High proportion of the spine The NHS staff we applaud every Thursday night is done in higher education.
The pressure created by the pandemic will be lasting. Funding and capacity problems in public services have arisen for some time, with large numbers of vacant positions in key positions. Covid-19 will compound this challenge. Doctors, nurses, social workers, teachers – these are highly skilled roles, requiring years of costly teaching and training. Any deficit in the number of people trained has a long-term impact on the ability of public services to support the health and well-being of the country.
Complementing the package of stabilization measures outlined by UK Universities, universities and government could take a big step towards mitigating capacity gaps with very targeted investments in key areas.
There is a clear and current need to incentivize students to apply to relevant courses and retain graduates who are already in the position. An obvious incentive is the financial one: we know that the withdrawal of the nursing scholarship affected the recruitment, particularly of mature students, with force. With the Nurse Trainee Grants slated to return from September, we must go further by introducing a £ 10,000 maintenance grant for anyone studying for a key role in the public service.
A new investment program in public services in higher education could allocate funds to the universities that teach these subjects so that they can continue to educate the next generation of world-class professionals. This exists in practically all universities, which means that the funds will be distributed throughout the country.
For students in England, a fee-based loan forgiveness system should be considered for students enrolling in key public service subjects from September 2020. To be eligible, each student could be required to commit to at least five years in the corresponding profession. It is also possible to apply this retrospectively to recent graduates and current students, particularly those in their later years, forced to enter the workforce in the most difficult circumstances.
Given the likely long-term impacts of interruptions in public sector staffing, it will be vital to retain current staff and encourage their development. That is why the government should increase the budgets of personnel in hospitals, schools and local authorities. An increase in professional development budgets from September 2020 would build capacity across the board to support students entering training in the next three years.
During the election campaign, even before he suffered an illness and left him in need of intensive care treatment, Boris Johnson promised a greater investment in the NHS: 50,000 more nurses and a million more medical appointments. Investing in these areas could help deliver on those promises and more, reinforcing the service’s key workforce while ensuring a pathway to the professions.
Now more than ever, British universities are a crucial asset to the nation through our impact on local communities. These institutions and their students will be the heart of these towns and cities, as little by little, day by day, Britain begins to heal.
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