Employer input into education benefits 'larger corporations'
Budget proposals represent “worrying but not surprising development” for IoTs
by Lughan Deane
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| “Employers already have an undue influence on curricula, particularly in Institutes of Technology” - IMPACT organiser Kevin Donoghue |
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Following last week’s budget, businesses will be given a greater say in the shape of third level curricula. This comes after Government seemingly accepted proposals that would see corporations compensated for incremental increases in their contributions to the national training fund by granting the firms an enhanced level of input into course design.
Commenting on this development, Kevin Donoghue – IMPACT organiser in the Services and Enterprises division and former president of the USI – said that “employers already have an undue influence on curricula, particularly in Institutes of Technology.”
He said that the new proposals represented “a very worrying but not all that surprising development.” Kevin argued that “large corporations who can afford to invest their time and energy” into curricula will benefit from this measure, rather than small and medium enterprises.
Lisa Connell, IMPACT organiser in the institutes of technology sector also commented on the measure. She said that “while increased funding and investment is welcomed, we hope that the core ethos of the institutes of technology is maintained. This ethos is around access – the guarantee that students from a variety of backgrounds and in a variety of geographical locations are able to study at third level.”
Kevin discussed this development as well as other budget announcements regarding third level funding with Joe O’Connor, IMPACT lead organiser and former president of the USI, in a video which you can watch here.
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