University education on-Island

About this report

This paper describes what university-level education is available in Jersey, analyses data on participation in university-level education and educational standards in the Island, discusses the case for a “University of Jersey” and considers other options for increasing university-level education on-Island. Its purpose is to provide the evidence base and analysis of options to enable appropriate policy responses to be developed.

About the author

Sir Mark Boleat has held a number of leading positions in the public, private and voluntary sectors in the UK and Jersey. He was the Political Leader of the City of London from 2012 to 2017, having previously headed major national trade associations and chaired or been a director of a number of listed and private companies and charities. He is currently Chair of Link, which runs the UK’s cash dispenser network, and of the International Business and Diplomatic Exchange.

In Jersey he has been Chair of the Jersey Competition and Regulatory Authority, the Jersey Development Company and Andium Homes and has undertaken a number of consultancy projects for the Government. He is a keen student of Jersey history and has recently published Jersey’s Population – a History . He is a Senior Adviser to the Policy Centre.

About the Policy Centre Jersey

The Policy Centre Jersey aims to improve knowledge about and civic engagement in Jersey by –

• Undertaking authoritative research on policy issues.
• Publishing briefings on key policy issues with easy access to relevant papers and research.
• Providing a forum for discussion on policy issues.
• Building a Jersey Knowledge Centre comprising brief up-to-date papers on all aspects of Jersey (history, economy, constitution, geography etc) aimed particularly at schools.

Summary

University College Jersey (part of Highlands College) and four specialist centres currently provide a limited range of university-level courses on-Island.

Jersey has a relatively poor record of attainment at A level, a seemingly low rate of progression to higher education and a low proportion of the Jersey-born population with university-level education.

The Faroe Islands and Gibraltar have their own universities, offering a limited range of courses. The distance from their home country is a principal reason for their existence. The more normal model for small jurisdictions is a relationship with a university or universities in the home country. Following a detailed study, Guernsey decided not to go ahead with plans for an ambitious “International University Guernsey”.

About 20% of UK university students live at home, but this option is not available for many Jersey students, because of the limited range of on-Island courses. This therefore limits the opportunity to access university-level education, particularly for those from low-income families, with disabilities or with caring responsibilities. This is important for social mobility as higher education is a key driver for helping those from less well-off backgrounds to become socially mobile into higher income brackets.

The issue of higher education on-Island has been the subject of a number of reviews in the past. A 2004 report for the Government by Dr Michael Goldstein proposed the concept of a University Centre for Jersey, which would provide facilities for a range of higher education institutions. A 2008 report by the Higher Education Development Group recommended that a “University Centre for Jersey” should be established. Neither suggestion was progressed. A 2017 report on skills strategy was silent on higher education but referred to “plans under development such as the Higher Education Strategy”. A 2019 report identified key objectives including “ensuring tertiary education on island is high quality and “fit for purpose”” and “creating tertiary education on island which has international appeal”. There has been no subsequent action and the issue does not feature in the current Government Plan. However, the Minister for Children and Education’s ministerial plan for 2024 does include “developing a strategy for on-island provision of Higher Education in partnership with local providers”.

There are three principal reasons for seeking to expand university-level education on-Island –

• Expanding choice for Jersey students, particularly those from low-income households, with a disability or with caring responsibilities, by giving them the option of having a university-level education while living at home.
• Enhancing Jersey’s competitive position by raising education standards generally and helping to keep entrepreneurs on-Island.
• Reversing the falling proportion of Jersey students who, after completing a degree course, return to the Island.

The 2019 Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey demonstrated strong support for increasing higher education opportunities on-Island.

A “University of Jersey” is not a realistic short-term option but it could be longer term aspiration when one or both of the short-term options have a solid track record.

There are two short-term options, which are not mutually exclusive –

• Developing specialist centres. The Jersey International Centre of Advanced Studies (JICAS) already has ambitious expansion plans. Other centres could be attracted.
• Expanded provision for standard undergraduate courses either through University College Jersey or attracting a campus of a UK university.

Both options are now more feasible because technology facilitates remote learning and research.

Either option could be combined with establishing a “University Centre Jersey”, bringing together the current offerings, building on the Higher Education Advisory Board. A “quick win” would be a website bringing together what is currently available.

If there is a wish to pursue the issue then the following course of action would be appropriate –

1. Conduct a more comprehensive analysis of the relevant statistics than has been possible in this paper.

2. Conduct research, particularly among 16-19 year-olds, on attitudes to higher education provision on-Island to better assess the potential demand.

3. Commission a relevant expert to identify the reasons for Jersey’s relatively poor performance at A level and suggest appropriate actions to improve performance.

4. Formalising co-operation between the current higher education institutions, building on the Higher Education Advisory Board, possibly leading to the creation of a “University Centre Jersey”.

5. Urgently progress the development of appropriate facilities for Highlands College, with the option of providing facilities for other higher education institutions.

6. Explore the potential for expanded specialist higher education centres with JICAS/University of Exeter and possibly other universities.

7. Based on the research, explore in detail options for expansion of higher education provision by University College Jersey or by attracting a campus of a UK university.

Existing university-level education provision in Jersey

University level education can be provided by state institutions or by private sector institutions. There are several different delivery models –

• The traditional model – a campus university awarding its own degree.
• A university awarding its own degrees through a number of different campuses but with the same faculty – the flying faculty model.
• An institution running degree courses validated by a university, which is the degree-awarding body.

Each of these models can be combined with an element of distance learning. Partly as a result of the response to the pandemic, technology can now be used to deliver university-level courses remotely far more effectively, which increases the ability of small jurisdictions or relatively isolated areas to expand their provision.

Currently, four academic institutions in Jersey offer higher level education.

University College Jersey (UCJ) is part of Highlands College,a further education college, similar to those in the UK. Highlands offers a wide range of vocational courses. UCJ offers degree-level courses validated by three UK universities: Sussex, Plymouth and London South Bank. It currently runs degree programmes in business accounting, childhood studies, social work, psychology with criminology, digital technologies, social sciences and sport coaching and development.

BPP International Finance, a private sector institution,offers a range of courses leading to qualifications with one of the professional bodies in the financial services industry. It operates from the Regus facility in Liberty Wharf.

The Jersey International Centre of Advanced Studies (JICAS)offers a master’s degree in island biodiversity and conservation in conjunction with the University of Exeter. It also offers a PhD programme. It operates from Highlands College.

The Institute of Law Jerseyoffers the University of London University LLB law degree and a range of other courses. The Institute is also the leading centre for offshore legal research and learning. It operates from Highlands College.

In addition the Government of Jersey offers a three-year full-time nursing degree course. Robert Gordon University now runs this and other courses, having been appointed in 2022, taking over the role from the University of Chester. In passing, it might be added that some rebranding, for example by having a “school of nursing”, would enhance the visibility of this course as being part of the higher education offer in Jersey.

Students in Jersey can also enrol for distance learning courses at the Open University and other universities in the UK and other countries.

While the current provision is not negligible it is by any standards thin and capable of meeting only a small fraction of the potential demand for university-level education from young Jersey people. The range of courses offered is designed to meet the needs of government and local industry, so for example humanities and science subjects are not well covered.

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Statistics on university-level education in Jersey

Some definitions are helpful before analysing the statistics –

• Higher education covers all qualifications and courses taken after age 18.
• Degree level education means first or bachelor’s degree.
• Above degree level means a master’s or doctor’s degree.

The 2021 census showed –

• 28% of all adults aged 16-64 had at least a degree level education.
• 42% had higher education or degree level education – an increase from 34% in 2011. The Census report commented that the increase: “is primarily due to inward migration. A total of 4,475 people who arrived in Jersey in the last five years (excluding Jersey-born) had higher education qualifications. In addition, there were 3,210 more Jersey-born adults aged 16-64 with higher education qualifications than in 2011.”
• 61% of Jersey-born recent arrivals and 67% of those born outside Europe held a qualification at or above degree level.
• A breakdown by place of birth of adults with at least education at further level shows –
• Jersey 39%
• British Isles 53%
• Poland 38%
• Portugal/Madeira 13%
• Outside Europe 64%

The Census Report commented that, on a comparable basis, in Jersey 45% of adults aged 21-64 held some form of higher-level qualification, a greater proportion than that recorded in the UK (42%).

However, these statistics do not accurately reflect the education system in Jersey given high levels of two-way migration. The relatively low proportion of Jersey-born people with at least further education partly reflects the high proportion, currently estimated at nearly 60%, of those who go to university outside the Island and who do not subsequently return. It is also the case that the large finance industry means that young people can go straight from school to a company and study for a professional qualification, although when qualified such people count as having “education at further level”.

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Participation in higher education by Jersey school leavers

There are detailed statistics and analysis on higher education participation rates in the UK.

A comprehensive analysis is provided in a House of Commons briefing paper Higher education student numbers, by Paul Bolton, published in February 2023. Relevant data in this report includes –

• In 2019/20 the overall Higher Education Initial Participation Rate (HEIPR) was just over 53%; 61% for women and 46% for men. The rate among those aged under 21 was 46% and if extended to all entrants aged 60 or less it was 59%.
• A regional breakdown is available only for 18-year-old entry rates through UCAS. The overall England figure was 38% (32% for men and 43% for women). The range was from 52% in London, to 39% in the South East of England down to 31% in the North East and 30% in Scotland.
• The overall participation rate peaked initially at 49.1% (of those aged under 30) in 2011/12. It fell to just under 43% in 2012 and has risen subsequently to new highs in 2015/16, and then each year to 2018/19. It passed 50% in 2017/18 and reached 50.7% in 2018/19. If participation at non-university providers is included this increases participation by just over one percentage point and takes the 2019/20 rate to 53.4%.
• International comparisons are not easy. However, the UK’s figure in 2020 was above the OECD average of 52% and above rates in the US (43%), Germany (49%) and Italy (50%). Countries with higher rates than the UK included Belgium (62%), Spain (64%), Poland (63%) and Greece (69%). There are no estimates for many larger economies including France, Australia, Japan and Korea.
• In 2018/19 26.6% of those eligible for free school meals at aged 15 (in 2015/16) had entered higher education at ages 18 or 19. This was up from 14% in 2005/06.

More up-to-date figures – for 2021/22 – are published in the report Participation measures in higher education. Key points are –

• The overall higher education participation rate by age 25 was 48.6% – 54.1% for females and 43.3% for males. The regional variation was from 61.4% in London to 44.5% in the South West.
• The first degree participation rate by age 25 was 43.4%.

Another relevant source is Widening participation in higher education.The most recent report, published in July 2023, is for the academic year 2021/22. The data includes –

• 46.8% of pupils in state funded schools at the age of 15 progressed to higher education.
• 29.2% of pupils eligible for free school meals at age 15 progressed to higher education.
• 83.1% of A level students at age 17 progressed to higher education.

Comparable data on Jersey are almost non-existent. There are no published statistics on progression to higher education. A response to a freedom of information request indicated that 45% of Jersey school leavers entered UK universities and Highlands College degree courses in the academic year 2021/2022. This figure is not directly comparable with any of the England figures quoted earlier in this section. However, it does not seem out of line with the figures for England as a whole.

The most comprehensive analysis of educational standards in Jersey across the board was in the 2020 Independent School Funding Review. A comment on progression to A level study is relevant –

Comparing the percentage of pupils who left KS4 and went on to take a Level 3 qualification (A Level or equivalent), Jersey is found to also perform less well than the UK. In 2016, 61.4% of pupils went on to Level 3 study, including pupils who studied for AS levels, compared to 71.2% of pupils in the UK.

Data are available on educational attainment at A level. In 2023, 24.5% of Jersey students achieved A*-A compared with 26.5% in England. However, it is more relevant to compare Jersey with the south east of England. The following table shows the proportion of A level students achieving A*-A level in 2023 in Jersey and the counties in the South East of England and Greater London.

Surrey 34.7%

Buckinghamshire 34.1%

Oxfordshire 33.0%

Cambridgeshire 32.7%

East Sussex 32.4%

Hertfordshire 31.2%

Berkshire 30.4%

Greater London 29.3%

Hampshire 26.9%

West Sussex 25.9%

Kent 25.4%

Jersey 24.5%

It will be seen that Jersey’s performance is below that of each of the counties, and significantly so in respect of the best performing counties.

It is valid to argue that the counties are much larger than Jersey and it is therefore more appropriate to compare Jersey with the smaller London boroughs and smaller education authorities. The London Borough of Richmond was probably the highest performing local authority with a figure of 36%.

The relatively poor performance is likely to be reflected in the proportion of students who go on to university.

A second reason for the low progression rate to higher education is that Jersey school leavers probably have more opportunities to go into well-paid employment – in the finance industry – than their English counterparts, which can lead to a degree-level qualification.

A final reason is that the “living at home” option is available only for a limited range of courses, which reduces the attractiveness of university education, particularly for some groups of students for whom living away from home is not an option. This is covered in detail in a subsequent section.

The experience of other jurisdictions

It is sensible to draw on the experience of other small jurisdictions to assess what is appropriate for Jersey.

Guernsey

The GTA University Centre is affiliated with Bournemouth University and offers its MSc in corporate governance locally. The Centre is involved in the Guernsey Institute initiative, which the University Centre describes as follows –

The Guernsey Institute is bringing the Guernsey College of Further Education, the GTA University Centre and the Institute of Health & Social Care Studies under one roof, to combine, and then by working collaboratively, extend their offerings.

In 2026, our organisation will move into a brand-new, purpose-built Post-16 Campus at Les Ozouets, with dedicated facilities for all of the different branches of our curriculum. Our staff are currently working alongside the architects and the Transforming Education Programme team to develop the plans for the site, which will include a purpose-built Construction and Engineering building, a business suite, specialised nurse training facilities and much more.

Our vision: To become a vibrant and inclusive centre of excellence for technical, vocational and professional learning, which serves industry and our community.

Gibraltar

Gibraltar, a British Overseas territory with a population of 30,000, has its own fully-fledged university. The University of Gibraltar was established in 2015. Following a three-year process it has been accredited by the UK’s Global Accreditation Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), which ensures that its degrees are generally recognised. The University offers undergraduate degree courses in business administration, computing and entrepreneurship, maritime science and adult nursing, and postgraduate courses in marine science and climate change, environmental science and climate change, leadership and management, business administration, education and contemporary healthcare. It also provides a postgraduate certificate of education course. The University is firmly embedded into Gibraltar life, with four advisory groups representing local interests and a series of Gibraltar history lectures.

The University is inevitably small with around 200 new students a year. In comparing Gibraltar’s position with Jersey the key point is that it borders a nation which resents its existence and with a different language and culture, and is a long way from, and far less integrated with, Britain than is Jersey.

Faroe Islands

The Faroe Islands is a self-governing nation within Denmark with a population of 55,000. The University of the Faroe Islands was established in 1965 by members of the Faroese Scientific Society. In 2008 the Faroese School of Education and the Faroese School of Nursing were incorporated. It offers 15 undergraduate courses, including Faroese language and literature, education, economics and business management, nursing, creative arts, social science and energy. It also offers eight master’s degrees – in Faroese language and literature, West Nordic studies, law, politics and administration, history, health, public health and social science and planning. It is understood that the university has about 1,000 students, although it is not clear how many are doing degree level courses.

In comparison with Jersey the key point is that the Faroe Islands is a long way from Denmark (it is closer to Britain, Ireland and Norway) and far less connected to Denmark than Jersey is to Britain.

Isle of Man

University College Isle of Man is an associate college of the University of Chester, which is the degree awarding body. It offers a small number of undergraduate courses, covering nursing, health and social care, history and heritage, sport, business and technology.

Scottish islands

The University of the Highlands and Islands covers the Shetlands and Hebrides, with specific branding for constituent parts such as UHI Shetland. Orkney has a population of little more than 20,000 but the website of UHI Orkney states –

UHI Orkney has a purpose-built campus in Kirkwall, offering a range of general and specialist courses, including: archaeology; art; business and management; construction; health; hospitality and tourism and Nordic and cultural studies. Staff and students at the college also carry out research in agronomy, archaeology, geophysics, and Nordic studies.

Bermuda

Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory, isolated in the middle of the Atlantic. Its tertiary education offer is very limited. Bermuda College is Bermuda’s only post-secondary/higher education institution. It provides access to two-year and one-year programmes of study that allow students to transfer at various levels to overseas universities. It also has partnership agreements with universities in North America that allow students who have completed an associate’s degree to transfer with advanced standing up to the third year of a four-year programme of study. Through a partnership arrangement with Mount St Vincent University (in Halifax, Canada), it provides access on the Island to two bachelor’s degree programmes in Business Administration and Child and Youth Studies.

Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands is a British Overseas Territory with a population of 55,000. The University College of the Cayman Islands awards its own degrees and is accredited by the Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges and Universities. Specific courses are accredited by other bodies.

International University of Guernsey Feasibility Report

A detailed analysis of the concept of a University of Guernsey was commissioned from the consultancy Oxentia. Its report, published in 2021, International University of Guernsey Feasibility Report, is relevant to the issue of university education in Jersey and indeed any small jurisdiction. Appendix 1 summarises the report and the reaction to it. This section provides a brief summary.

The report was commissioned to provide independent identification and analysis of potentially viable university models and to establish the economic feasibility of a university, taking into account the practical and commercial realities of launching an institution within the current global higher education marketplace.

The report identified the proposed model as “an institution with high impact but a small physical footprint which will have an eventual focus on postgraduate provision and a maximum of c. 1500 students by Year 10. It would slowly employ up to 65 academics and 100 operational support staff.” A Government investment of about £30 million over 10 years would be required in addition to up to £2.25 million start-up costs and £100 million for repurposing and construction of facilities and accommodation. The report suggested that the university could become financially self- sustaining in Year 8 of operation and had the potential to deliver significant value to the Island.

The Economic Development Committee (a new committee following the 2020 election) decided that there was no case to take the project forward as it would require considerable capital investment from the Government, which would bear the risk.

In considering the relevance of this initiative to Jersey the following points should be noted –

• What was being considered was an “International University Guernsey”, an establishment in Guernsey that would attract academics and students from around the world. There was no intention to provide a service for Guernsey residents.
• The rationale was to promote economic development, that is it was seen as an industry for the Island.
• The option considered was hugely ambitious, with 1,500 students, 65 academics and 100 ancillary staff.

Students living at home and social mobility

A significant proportion, about 20%, of UK university students choose to go to a university near their home and continue to live at home while they are studying. This has obvious advantages in term of costs and is therefore particularly attractive to students whose parents cannot help with meeting the cost of living away from home. It is also attractive to students with a disability or caring responsibilities, to some ethnic minority groups and to those who simply prefer to stay local. This option is not available to most students from Jersey. This section analyses relevant data.

A useful source of information is a 2020 House of Commons Briefing Paper Student accommodation FAQs. Among the points made in this paper –

• In 2018/19 1.1 million full-time students in the UK, or 62%, lived away from home.
• The proportion of students living anywhere other than with their parents fell from around 90% in the early 1990s to around 80% at the end of the decade and 75% in 2011/12. It has since increased back to 80% in 2017/18, largely as a result of the rapid increase in third party provision of student accommodation.

A second useful source of information is a2018 Sutton Trust report Home and Away. Key points include –

• Social class is a key factor which drives the mobility choices of young people, with disadvantaged students less likely to leave home and travel further. Over three times more students in the lowest social class group commute from home than do so from the highest group (44.9% compared with 13.1%). In contrast, leaving home and attending a distant university is too often the preserve of white, middle class, privately educated young people.
• Controlling for other factors including class, location and attainment, state school students are 2.6 times more likely to stay at home and study locally than their privately educated counterparts.

The impact of rising costs in recent years is covered in a study published in August 2023 Class of 23 more likely to be “stay-at-home” students by Sutton Trust and UCL –

New data from a major national study on the impact of recent crises on educational inequality and social mobility, shows that 20% of the ‘class of 2023’ plan to live at home during term time if they are successful in getting into their preferred university next week, while a further 14% have not yet decided if they’ll move to their university.

Disadvantaged students are particularly impacted, as families facing financial challenges expect to struggle to support a child living away from home. Young people from families who used a foodbank in the last year were much less likely to apply for university at all, and those that did apply for university were much more likely to plan on living at home (31% vs 19% for those that did not use a foodbank). The same was true for those from families who are behind with their housing payments (33% vs 17%).

Among students who plan to live at home, about one fifth said this is because they could not afford to live away, and just one fifth because their preferred university was near their home. 46% said the main reason was because they wanted — or needed — to remain near to their families. For example, for those with caring responsibilities, moving away is more difficult.

Sir Peter Lampl, Founder and Chairman of the Sutton Trust and Chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation, said –

These research findings highlight the difficult decisions many young people face as they weigh up their future. Young people from disadvantaged families are less likely to apply to university and are less likely to live away from home if they do apply, limiting their university choice.

These reports suggests that compared with their counterparts in the UK students in Jersey from disadvantaged backgrounds are even more disadvantaged because many do not have the option of going on to university while living at home. This helps to explain the relatively low level of progression to university by Jersey students. It also help to make the case for a better provision of university level education on-Island.

The importance of university education in promoting social mobility is illustrated in a comprehensive report by the Sutton Trust – Universities and Social Mobility: summary report. Its key conclusion is that –

Higher education is a key driver of social mobility in this country. Young people from less well-off backgrounds who attend university are more likely to become socially mobile into higher income brackets, and income gaps are lower between graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers compared to non-graduates.

Previous reviews of higher education provision

The narrow question of a “University of Jersey” and the wider issue of higher education provision have been the subject of a number of reviews and initiatives over the years. Much of the analysis in those reviews is still relevant today, and the political response merits noting, if only to indicate that Jersey seems unable to act on such reviews. This section summarises the various reviews. More detail is provided in Appendix 2.

In 2004 Dr Michael Goldstein, former Vice Chancellor of Coventry University, was commissioned to consider what provisions for higher education might be made on the Island. The key conclusions in his report Review of higher education were –

• More opportunities to study full-time first degrees should be provided in Jersey.
• Development of more full-time first degree courses on the Island would also increase the opportunities for part-time study.
• The new Foundation Degrees, recently introduced into the UK Higher Education system, offer exciting opportunities for Jersey to develop intermediate vocational qualifications at the technical and associate professional levels directly relevant to the Island’s future needs.
• There is widespread and well-founded support across Jersey for building a strategic relationship with a well-established and internationally high ranking Business School to support the future development of the financial services sector on the Island.
• The potential number of students is not sufficient to sustain an academically and financially self-standing multi-Faculty University, given the spread of subjects and levels involved. To achieve a minimum student population of about 2,000 would require augmentation by some 1,400 students recruited internationally (i.e. 70% of the total student population), which does not appear to be realistically attainable. The suggestion that the Island should create a “University of Jersey” is thus discounted.
• A more gradual development towards creation of a “University of Jersey” by building upon the strengths of Highlands College is also discounted.
• It is therefore concluded that rather than create a University on the Island, each of the Higher Education needs identified should be pursued as valid and necessary developments in their own right. There would, however, be advantage in refining this strategy by bringing together the various elements under a common structure and brand, perhaps named “The Jersey Higher Education Academy” and possibly as a new legal entity. The concept is that of a “shopping mall”, in which the various Higher Education activities on the Island would operate in a managed partnership mode.

Following publication of the report a Higher Education Development Group (HEDG), chaired by Dr Goldstein, was established. The Group’s final report was published in July 2008. Key points were –

• Strategic relationships with established and high quality international providers were important.
• A substantial body of new undergraduate programmes were planned to be delivered on-Island related to the economic needs of Jersey and developed in close partnership with the relevant employer base.
• A “University Centre for Jersey” should be created to be the focus for all general higher education delivery on-Island. This should be maintained and administered by Highlands College, but available to all providers of higher education on-Island, as well as providing a base for those studying by distance learning.
• A more far-reaching suggestion in which synergy between various education elements might be better facilitated would be the creation of the “Jersey Education Park”.

A 2009 report by Dr Goldstein for the States of Jersey Skills Board made the case for the “University Centre for Jersey” (UCfJ). Dr Goldstein developed the concept in a 2011 report for the Skills Board. He envisaged a “University Partnership for Jersey” (UPJ) which would be like a shopping mall for higher education institutions. In September 2012 the Skills Board published Higher education on Jersey – the next phase: “the University of Jersey, written by Dr Goldstein. In 2013 the Skills Board produced a paper on options for higher education.

The Skills Board was then superseded by the newly constituted Skills Jersey. However, there is nothing on the Skills Jersey website to indicate any further discussion of these issues. There is a 2017 report Skills Strategy 2017-2022. This is silent on higher education but does refer to “plans under development such as the Higher Education Strategy”.

In July 2019 the Government published A post 16 strategy for Jersey. This identified a number of key objectives underlying the strategy including –

• Ensuring tertiary education on island is high quality and “fit for purpose”.
• Creating tertiary education on island which has international appeal.

A key objective was stated as “Creating an international offer in Jersey for post-16 education at undergraduate and postgraduate level”, including –

• Exploring ways to continue to support Jersey-domiciled students who wish to study abroad.
• Encouraging overseas institutions to establish provision on the island.
• Encouraging students from abroad to continue their further and higher-education studies in Jersey.

The Common Strategic Policy of the current Council of Ministers, the Proposed Government Plan 2024-2027 and the Minister for Children and Education’s delivery plan for 2023 -2026, published in February 2023, are all silent on higher education. However, the Minister for Children and Education’s ministerial plan for 2024 does include “developing a strategy for on-island provision of Higher Education in partnership with local providers”.

The case for expanding university-level education in Jersey

There are three principal reasons for seeking to expand university-level education on-Island –

• Expanding choice for Jersey students by giving them the option of having a university-level education while living at home. For students from low-income households, with a disability or with caring responsibilities better on-Island provision could make the difference between having and not having a university-level education. This is important for social mobility reasons – because university-level education is a key driver of social mobility.
• Enhancing Jersey’s competitive position. Jersey is an international financial and business centre operating in a global marketplace. In a world where more routine tasks will increasingly be mechanised the quality of the labour force in terms of education, skills and adaptability will become more important. Enhanced higher education provision, combined with support for innovation and entrepreneurs, should help keep entrepreneurs on-Island.
• There is concern in Jersey about the “brain drain”, that is the falling proportion of Jersey students who, after studying at UK universities, return to the Island. It is understood that that proportion has fallen from 60% to 42%, reflecting the high cost of housing among other factors. It is reasonable to assume that those studying in the Island are more likely to remain.

It is also necessary to consider the views of the people of Jersey. The only relevant research is the 2019 Jersey Opinions and Lifestyle Survey, which demonstrated both the current low aspiration in Jersey and a strong preference for increasing higher education opportunities on-Island –

• Only half of adults born in Jersey (48%) thought it was very important to go on to higher education compared to 60% of adults from elsewhere in the British Isles and 80% from other countries.
• Three quarters (75%) of adults thought that higher education opportunities should be increased on-Island: only one percent thought that they should be decreased.
• Responses differ between age groups: over 80% of those aged 16-44 years thought opportunities should be increased compared to 63% of both those aged 55-64 years and those aged 65 years or over.

Models for developing higher education in Jersey

This section considers four options for expanding the provision of higher education on-Island –

• A “University of Jersey”.
• Specialist university centres in Jersey.
• Expanded provision by University College Jersey.
• A campus of a UK university.

The four options are not mutually exclusive, although it will be argued that a “University of Jersey” is not a realistic option until one or more of the other options has developed significantly.

In considering options it is worth noting that “Transnational education” (TNE), that is education delivered in a different country than where the awarding institution is based, is now considered as big business by UK universities. Universities UK has an informative page What is UK higher education transnational education? on the subject. TNE is described as –

UK HE TNE is delivered through online/distance learning (either with or without local support), through local delivery partnerships (eg franchised delivery, joint and dual degrees, twinning arrangements, validation and quality arrangements) or through a UK institution’s physical presence in another country (eg branch campus, study centre or through flying faculty).

UK HE TNE is delivered across almost all academic areas at all levels of study (undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research), often with the option to study part time or full time.

More generally, the substantial developments in educational technology, partly in response to the pandemic, make all forms of distance learning more effective. High quality university-level education is heavily dependent on the quality of staff. Technology can now enable students in Jersey to be taught by academics in the UK and further afield. This is particularly important where the small number of students makes it unviable to employ staff in Jersey.

A University of Jersey

A University of Jersey means a stand-alone educational body offering degree level education and awarding its own degrees, similar to those in Gibraltar and the Faroe Islands. To have any credibility such an institution would need to be accredited, most likely by the UK’s Global Accreditation Quality Assurance Agency (QAA), so as to ensure that its degrees were generally recognised. Establishing such a university would be a lengthy and costly process. The Oxentia report on Guernsey is relevant. Although it tried to sell the concept, any government reading the report would decide that the risks substantially outweighed the benefits. In the Jersey context deciding on the location of a university could also prove to be an insurmountable hurdle.

However, in the longer term a “University of Jersey” should not be ruled out, but it would have to be built on a significant and well-established local institution or institutions already offering university-level education. The majority of UK universities started their lives as something other than a university and progressed to university status.

Specialist centres

Jersey already has two specialist centres, the Institute of Law Jersey and the Jersey International Centre of Advanced Studies (JICAS), and also BPP International Finance and a nursing course that offer university-level education.

The Institute of Law exists only because Jersey has its own legal system. With one exception, the degree-awarding bodies are significant universities rather than the Institute itself, essential to ensure that they are universally recognised. The Institute is also recognised as being an authority on offshore law.

JICASoffers a master’s degree in island biodiversity and conservation in conjunction with the University of Exeter. It is planning to offer three more master’s degrees – in island history and heritage, sustainability and climate change, and culture and aesthetics. It also offers a PhD programme. It is small scale but is developing an international reputation in its chosen, limited, field. JICAS is ambitious and there is clearly scope for it to expand its operations.

These two centres show that Jersey is capable of hosting leading academic centres in specialist areas. In addition to their own expansion plans there may be scope to attract other centres if the Island can provide the right environment.

Expansion of University College Jersey (UCJ)

University College Jersey already offers a number of degree courses validated by UK universities, but the range of courses is inevitably limited. There is scope to build on what currently exists to offer a wider range of courses and more flexibility through offering part-time degree courses. UCJ would also benefit from having a more distinct identity. The scope to use online learning facilitates this. UCJ already uses a combination of local faculty, flying faculty (academics from the UK coming to Jersey for short periods) and online learning.

UCJ has chosen to have links with a number of UK universities. There are arguments for having a very strong link with a single university. However, this runs the risk of the single university taking a strategic decision to weaken the link. Also, working with several universities enables particular specialisms to be exploited.

UCJ has considerably expanded its role in recent years – from 60 to 200 students and from two to nine courses. This has happened incrementally. Further expansion probably needs a different approach, in particular to be able to work more effectively with UK universities, including sharing staff. Currently, UCJ is funded on a yearly basis; this is not appropriate for three-year university courses. More stable funding and appropriate facilities are probably pre-requisites for substantial expansion.

A campus of a UK university

A number of UK universities have established satellite campuses and it would be possible for one to be established in Jersey. This model differs from the University College Jersey model in that the UK university would be responsible for the whole concept.

Coventry University offers a relevant model. It has campuses in, among other places, Barking, Scarborough and Wroclaw (Poland). The Scarborough campus was opened in September 2016: “our £14M teaching facility is part of the new £50M Sports and Education Campus, just a 10-minute walk from the railway station”. It offers 40 courses, with a non-traditional structure –

The main difference between CU Scarborough and other universities is the way that we teach. At most institutions you will be taught eight modules (subject areas) of your chosen course over two semesters (four subjects per semester). At CU Scarborough, for all courses, we teach four modules per year, one subject area at a time over four intensive six-week blocks.

This model is easier for the parent university to manage in that academic staff can be used more flexibly – the flying faculty model. The model is used by JICAS and Highlands.

It is open to a UK, or indeed any other, university to open a campus in Jersey on its own initiative. However, Jersey can never be a large market and it is likely that, as with a specialist centre, Jersey would need to offer some incentives to attract a university. As with the specialist centre, building on what already exists is probably the best option.

Scope for co-operation between institutions

The various higher education providers in Jersey already collaborate informally, helped by co-location at Highland College. UCJ, JICAS and the Institute of Law Jersey have established the Higher Education Advisory Board. With some seed funding this could lead to a more formalised arrangement to bring together the different providers into a “University Centre”.

Accommodating increased higher education provision

Any expansion of higher education provision would require appropriate facilities, and Jersey’s track record in this respect is not good.

It might be assumed that what is needed is a brand-new campus capable of housing Highlands College, the other institutions currently housed in Highlands and any new institution. However, this is not the case and there is a danger of the best being the enemy of the good. In this respect it should be noted that BPP operates from the Regus offices. JICAS and the Institute of Law Jersey are both tenants at Highlands but properly want accommodation that is best suited to their needs and it is their choice as to where they locate. Should a UK university be attracted to opening a campus in Jersey it would want to look for its own suitable premises which could be an existing office building or hotel. Clearly, if state-of-the-art facilities were available in a combined further and higher education campus at an appropriate rent then this might be an added attraction.

However, the starting point has to be that the Highlands College campus currently accommodates University College Jersey, JICAS and the Institute of Law Jersey. It is also generally agreed that the Highlands campus is dated and not suitable even for its current activities. In 2015 a scrutiny panel recommended that the Minister for Education should prioritise the funding of a purpose built, further education campus within the government plan, to be completed by 2023. The response was that “the Minister is prioritising this as a capital bid in the government plan from 2020. Subject to government planning process and Assembly agreement this will be progressed”. However, nothing materialised. In 2017 Highlands prepared a detailed business case for developing the Highlands campus. This had significant support from the business community. However, it did not get political support.

More recently, the issue was covered in the Further Education and Skills Actionable Agenda report, published in December 2022.

RE-PROVISION OF THE HIGHLANDS COLLEGE CAMPUS

Partially through an inability to accrue surpluses to fund estate renewal and the absence of a managed asset register, the Highlands Campus is no longer fit for purpose. This is the case in terms of generic teaching spaces which have become inflexible and expensive to maintain, but particularly in terms of providing the ‘line of sight’ to work that is a feature of good quality technical and professional education.

There are various options for the re-provision of the Highlands campus, including a well-developed plan for development within the current college estate footprint, but there may be further options that could be considered, including the co-use of employer facilities for training and a hub and spoke arrangement. Whatever form the re-provision of the campus takes, it will provide the opportunity for various elements of the skills offer in Jersey to be brought together as a ‘shop window’ to employers and Islanders, demonstrating the seriousness with which the Government of Jersey takes the development of a robust and productive workforce.

In the context of a re-provisioned campus, Highlands College could develop into a series of ‘branded offers’ relating to particular sectors and based upon partnerships with employers (eg Hospitality Academy, Engineering Academy, Digital Academy, 16-18 College, University College, Business Schools).

In some cases, the College would deliver provision directly, in others it would act as landlord to partners (as in the case of the current arrangements with the Institute of Law and the Marine Research Department of Exeter University).

A re-provisioned campus could also provide the opportunity to attract overseas students in a sustainable way, making use of Jersey’s attractions as a safe and pleasant study destination. Accommodation needs for this purpose could usefully be coordinated with residential accommodation for the new hospital at Overdale.

Although this report was published by the Government of Jersey there is no indication of who wrote the report or its status. However, a Government press release on 20 December 2022 said that “the actions will be taken forward with oversight from the Population and Skills Ministerial Group”. The specific recommendations in respect of the Highlands campus were –

Funding to be secured to re-provide the Highlands Campus to be informed by existing business cases.

In parallel, an options study to be completed on the most cost-effective means of re-providing the campus, including a hub and spoke model.

The re-provided campus to be seen as a shop window for FE and Skills to students, parents and employers.

The re-provided campus to be a vehicle for collaboration between Highlands College and other providers in Jersey, as well as prospective university partners.

The Education Minister’s Plan for 2024-2027 includes the following: “confirming an agreed approach to upgrading the teaching and learning facilities at Highlands College to ensure they mirror high-quality contemporary workplaces.” The draft Government Plan 2024-2027 is silent on the issue.

Highlands College itself, in its strategic plan 2020-24, has as one of its three priorities “financial sustainability and a new campus”.

A final point on the accommodation issue is whether to develop on the Highlands site or develop a new site. This is something that can be decided only after a detailed consideration of the options. However, with a clean sheet of paper a purpose-built, highly visible central location would be the preferred option.

An immediate option – developing a “University Centre Jersey”

Although the current higher education offer in Jersey is small, it is not negligible, is larger than most people realise but has minimal visibility. The largest provider, University College Jersey, is seen as part of Highlands College and the specialist providers are largely unknown outside their respective areas.

Dr Goldstein’s 2004 report commented –

It is therefore concluded that rather than create a University on the Island, each of the Higher Education needs identified should be pursued as valid and necessary developments in their own right. There would, however, be advantage in refining this strategy by bringing together the various elements under a common structure and brand, perhaps named “The Jersey Higher Education Academy” and possibly as a new legal entity. The concept is that of a ‘shopping mall’, in which the various Higher Education activities on the Island would operate in a managed partnership mode.

The recommendations of the Higher Education Development Group. chaired by Dr Goldstein, in July 2008 included –

A ‘”University Centre for Jersey” should be created to be the focus for all general higher education delivery on-Island. This should be maintained and administered by Highlands College, but available to all providers of higher education on-Island, as well as providing a base for those studying by distance learning.

Those arguments seem valid today, and perhaps have been strengthened by developments in the education world. The Higher Education Advisory Board, established by the institutions themselves, builds on existing informal co-operation and provides the basis for a more formalised bringing together of all of the providers into a “University Centre Jersey”, with its own identity and a website.

There is in fact a Higher education courses in Jersey page on the Government website, but it is very basic and suffers the same problems as the whole of the Government’s website.

Longer term, it would be desirable if there was a physical building capable of providing facilities for all the higher education institutions. Ideally it would be in a central location, which itself would help promote the visibility of higher education. Digital Jersey is a good model in this respect. While there are merits in a campus for Highlands and higher education in all probability this would simply delay progress, given that there seems no government enthusiasm for bringing Highlands up to a reasonable standard.

Conclusions

Examining the experience of jurisdictions comparable to Jersey suggests that a standalone university exist only where the jurisdiction is a long way from its home country and that such universities are inevitably small. The more normal arrangement is for a local institution to work in conjunction with a university or universities in the home country.

A stand-alone university is not a viable option for Jersey in the short term although it is a reasonable aspiration for the longer term, but only if there is something very substantial to build on, which does not currently exist.

If there is an objective for Jersey to have a specialist university centre which could help to enhance the reputation of the Island then the foundations already exist in the form of the Jersey International Centre of Advanced Studies, which operates in conjunction with the University of Exeter. There is also the option to seek to attract other specialist centres.

However there is a more important need, that is to increase higher education opportunities on-Island. This is highly desirable for three reasons-

• Expanding choice for Jersey students, particularly those from low-income households, with a disability or with caring responsibilities, by giving them the option of having a university-level education while living at home.
• Enhancing Jersey’s competitive position by raising education standards generally and helping to keep entrepreneurs on-Island.
• Reversing the falling proportion of Jersey students who, after completing a degree course, return to the Island.

If a decision is taken to increase higher education provision, then the alternatives of building on University College Jersey or seeking to bring in a campus of a UK university should be explored in detail, with the first option probably being the most appropriate.

It would be unwise to consider the accommodation issue at an early stage as this could well frustrate progress. However, it is clear that the Highlands campus is not fit for purpose and there is an urgent need for this to be remedied. If this is done then it might be appropriate to seek to provide a campus that would be attractive to other providers of higher education. However, in the short term a virtual “University Centre Jersey” would be a quick win, which ideally could be followed up by a single higher education campus in a central location.

If there is a wish to pursue the issue then the following course of action would be appropriate.

1. Conduct a more comprehensive analysis of the relevant statistics than has been possible in this paper. This would be a straightforward task.

2. Conduct research, particularly among 16-19 year-olds, on attitudes to higher education provision on-Island so as to better assess the potential demand, again a straightforward task.

3. Commission a relevant expert to identify the reasons for Jersey’s relatively poor performance at A level and suggest appropriate actions to improve performance.

4. Formalising co-operation between the current higher education institutions, building on the Higher Education Advisory Board, possibly leading to the creation of a “University Centre Jersey”.

5. Urgently progress the development of appropriate facilities for Highlands College, with the option of providing facilities for other higher education institutions.

6. Explore the potential for expanded specialist higher education centres with JICAS/University of Exeter and possibly other universities.

7. Based on the research explore in detail options for –

a. Expansion of higher education provision by University College Jersey.

b. Attracting a campus of a UK university.

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Sir Mark Boleat is Senior Adviser to the Policy Centre Jersey. He has undertaken consultancy projects for the Government of Jersey on housing, consumer protection, immigration, financial resilience and Island identity and for clients in the UK and internationally on housing finance and the development of public policy. He has written several books and numerous papers on a wide variety of subjects including aspects of Jersey.

This paper has benefitted from a significant input from Dr Michael Goldstein, former Vice Chancellor of Coventry University, who between 2004 and 2015 undertook a great deal of work on higher education in Jersey. Professor Sir Paul Curran, former Vice Chancellor and President of City University London, also provided valuable advice and comments. Discussions with Jo Terry-Marchant, Principal of Highlands College, and Sean Dettman, Director of JICAS, provided valuable practical knowledge and ideas.

The paper takes account of discussion at a meeting of the Policy Centre on 8 December 2023, in particular contributions from Michael Goldstein, Jo Terry-Marchant and Professor Judith Still, Professor Emeritus at University of Nottingham and a Vice President of the British Academy.

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Appendix 1 – the International University of Guernsey concept

A detailed analysis of the concept of a University of Guernsey was commissioned from the consultancy Oxentia. Its report International University of Guernsey Feasibility Report, was published in 2021. The report describes its purpose –

The States of Guernsey Committee for Economic Development commissioned this Feasibility Study to provide independent identification and analysis of potentially viable university models and to establish the economic feasibility of university, taking into account the practical and commercial realities of launching an institution within the current global higher education marketplace.

This followed a decision to investigate “the opportunity to establish an international university in Guernsey to support economic diversification and to provide long-term economic and social benefits”.

The report drew on previous work by a working party of Committee for Economic Development, which had developed the following objectives for an “International University of Guernsey”

Academic

• To create an innovative form of education delivery through the University, and part of Guernsey’s identity as an International Centre of Excellence.
• For the University to be modern and highly adaptive to respond to society’s needs and the requirements of the 21st Century, becoming a pioneer of a new age model of universities
• To develop strong links between the International University and existing on-island businesses to provide work-based learning and industry-based research opportunities, enhancing research, academic and business development in Guernsey.
• To develop strong links with universities around the world.
• To ensure a focus on live, work, learn opportunities for students during and after their studies.

Community

• To enrich the cultural, recreational, social and sporting life of Guernsey with the inclusion of students and staff in Guernsey’s way of life.
• For the University to act as an exemplar, demonstrating the benefits of progressive higher education, creating an international network of former students leading to potential future social, academic and business links with the Island.
• To enhance innovation in Guernsey through research and development activities at the University. With time, Guernsey becomes a test bed for new products and initiatives and a hub for start-up businesses and entrepreneurs.

Economic

• To generate sustainable economic growth through the presence of students and teachers in Guernsey to increase on-island spending.
• To enhance Guernsey’s local and international businesses by providing access to a talent pool and research resources by developing close links between the international university and industry.
• To support Guernsey’s air and sea links through an increase in demand from visiting family and friends and return visits from alumni, leading to demand for new travel links.

The conclusions and recommendations of the report are set out below –

This report makes the case for the development of a distinctive, viable, and competitive international university in Guernsey based on an understanding of the attributes of the local and regional socioeconomic landscapes, the current international marketplace for tertiary education, and alternative delivery models. This has resulted in the identification of a preferred model which is based upon the following characteristics:

• An institution with high impact but a small physical footprint which will have an eventual focus on postgraduate provision and a maximum of c. 1500 students by Year 10. It would slowly employ up to 65 academics and 100 operational support staff.
• A specialized and holistic curriculum that provides students with a comprehensive skill set that provides extensive future proofing for their future career prospects.
• A unique confederated delivery model which assumes a close working relationship with a small number of international partner universities and allows students to rotate internationally across all partner campuses during students’ candidatures.
• The phased development will allow for the building of a credible and sustainable enterprise, whist at the same time allowing for appropriate planning and integration with Guernsey’s infrastructures and societal priorities.
• The model proposed would see the rotation of a cohort of international students across all the partner universities, including IUG, over the duration of their programmes of study. This would potentially mean that most students would spend no more than one year physically on Guernsey.
• IUG will require long term and steadfast commitment from the States of Guernsey if it is to be successful. Investment of c. £30 m ($40 m) is the approximate anticipated requirement over 10 years, in addition to £0.75 m – £2.25 m ($1 m – 3 m) for pre-launch activities. Furthermore, an initial estimated £100 m ($133 m) may be required for repurposing and construction of facilities and accommodation. Preliminary financial analysis indicates that, based on the preferred model, IUG may become financially self- sustaining in Year 8 of operation.
• It is estimated that IUG has the potential to deliver £35 m ($47 m) of GVA by Year 10, as well as providing significant benefits to on-island businesses via access to high-calibre students, graduates and researchers. Guernsey’s people stand to benefit from access to improved infrastructures, and to social, cultural and educational facilities.
• Early discussions with potential partner universities have indicated that there is significant interest in engaging with IUG and working in partnership to develop a new and bespoke synergistic provision that meets the needs of Guernsey as well as the broader international higher education landscape. Numerous partnership discussions will be necessary for IUG to identify the most mutually beneficial partnerships and, indeed, to mitigate against potential risks. These discussions will need to be progress as an urgent priority.

The report recommended that “A small University Launch Team should be recruited and provided with the mandate, budget and accountability to ensure the timely execution of the necessary tasks”. Nine priority tasks were identified. The tasks seem to assume that a decision in principle had been taken to go ahead with the project and would have been costly to undertake.

After the publication of its report Oxentia was asked to prepare a short guidance note “to outline some key perspectives on whether the establishment of a Higher Education Institution which is smaller and more specialised than that previously specified might warrant further consideration”. Oxentia concluded that “In time, a smaller, specialised research facility could provide Guernsey with a highly credible institution that boasts an international reputation but which has lower economic and demographic impacts”. This would have lower capital expenditure (£10-25 million) but significantly reduced Gross Value Added and indirect social benefits.

On 25 August 2021 the Economic Development Committee (a new committee following the 2020 election) scrapped the concept. Its statement read –

The previous Committee established a University Working Party and commissioned Oxentia, a global innovation consultancy with links to Oxford University that specialises in the higher education sector, to carry out a feasibility study to determine whether developing an International University in Guernsey was feasible and to identify the potential costs and benefits of the project. After careful consideration of the university feasibility report, members of the Committee for Economic Development decided that there was no case to take the project forward.

Although the report identified potential economic benefits the project would also require considerable capital investment from the States of Guernsey, that risk sitting squarely in the lap of the Guernsey taxpayer. The Committee is not in the business of gambling with tax payers’ money.

In considering the relevance of this report to Jersey the following points should be noted –

• What was being considered was an “International University Guernsey”, that is an establishment in Guernsey that would attract academics and students from around the world. There was no intention to provide a service for Guernsey residents.
• The rationale was to promote economic development, that is it was seen as an industry for the Island.
• Although the report was labelled as a “feasibility” study much of it reads more like advocacy for the concept.
• The option considered was hugely ambitious, with 1,500 students, 65 academics and 100 ancillary staff.
• No consideration was given to more modest options – although the supplementary note was produced on a specialist centre.
• As an investment project it would not pass any scrutiny –

o A new entrant into a crowded field from a jurisdiction with no track record and obvious communication problems.

o A central estimate of break-even not until year 8.

o Significant uncertainty about the ability to attract students and academic staff.

o Given the size of Guernsey, significant risk, well outside a reasonable risk appetite.

Appendix 2 – previous reviews of higher education in Jersey

A great deal of work on possible higher education initiatives was done between 2004 and 2014, largely by Dr Michael Goldstein, former Vice Chancellor of Coventry University. Many of the papers produced in this period remain relevant. This Appendix provides a summary. The papers have been amalgamated into a single document Papers on Higher Education in Jersey 2004-2015 so as to be accessible to those doing further work in this area.

Review of higher education, report by Dr Michael Goldstein, 2004

In May 2004 the Education, Sport and Culture Committee, in response to changes in higher education in the UK, particularly the future deregulation of tuition fees in England, decided that a review should be undertaken to consider what provisions for higher education might be made on the Island. That review was undertaken by Dr Michael Goldstein, former Vice Chancellor of Coventry University, supported by a panel of relevant local industry and education representatives. Dr Goldstein’s report, Review of higher education was published in December 2004.

The report analysed each of the different types of need for Higher Education on the Island, and identified ways in which they might best be met. The analysis in the report is detailed and comprehensive. The report has a succinct executive summary, the key points in which are set out below –

• The increased costs of studying in England will give greater weight to the argument that more opportunities to study full-time first degrees should be provided in Jersey. But there are in any case strong arguments for developing degree courses on the Island in generic subject areas related to Jersey’s future employment needs. Highlands College has experience of successfully working in partnership with UK. Universities towards this end. It is thus well-placed to develop further along these lines, and should be encouraged and facilitated so to do.
• Development of more full-time first degree courses on the Island would also increase the opportunities for part-time study. However, there would be benefit notwithstanding to enter into a strategic relationship with the Open University, given the relatively high numbers of Jersey residents who currently choose to study with the OU.
• There is an important need to enhance provision and take-up of employee development programmes which enable the range of existing workforces better to respond to new demands and prepare for the future. This could be achieved by creation of a new development entity such as a ‘Management Training Centre’, or by charging a re-formatted Jersey Business School with the task.
• The new Foundation Degrees, recently introduced into the UK. Higher Education system, offer exciting opportunities for Jersey to develop intermediate vocational qualifications at the technical and associate professional levels directly relevant to the Island’s future needs. They would provide a route for a wider range of Jersey people than hitherto to achieve a recognised Higher Education qualification with a work- based or work-related curriculum, directly relevant to Jersey’s emerging employment needs.
• There is widespread and well-founded support across Jersey for building a strategic relationship with a well-established and internationally high ranking Business School to support the future development of the financial services sector on the Island.
• The proposal for a ‘Jersey College of Law’ offers prospects not only to improve the training of Jersey lawyers but also to create an international centre for the study and promotion of comparative law. Current contacts should be explored, and support from the Jersey law community sought.
• The growth and developments outlined in the foregoing amount to a total student population of about 600 full-time equivalent (FTE) students at the steady state, which might over time and with strong marketing grow to 650 or even 700 FTE. This is not sufficient to sustain an academically and financially self-standing multi-Faculty University, given the spread of subjects and levels involved. To achieve a minimum student population of about 2,000 F.T.E. would require augmentation by some 1,400 students recruited internationally (i.e. 70% of the total student population), which does not appear to be realistically attainable, even if it were deemed desirable. Moreover, a reasonable analysis shows that such a University would require capital investment of over £40 million, and incur a recurrent deficit of about £2.5 million (i.e. over£4,000 per FTE of Jersey students). The suggestion that the Island should create a ‘University of Jersey’ is thus discounted.
• A more gradual development towards creation of a ‘University of Jersey’ by building upon the strengths of Highlands College is also discounted, because of the combination of disadvantages and risks. However, as indicated throughout this report, the College nonetheless has an important role to play in increasing the extent of Higher Education delivered on the Island.
• It is therefore concluded that rather than create a University on the Island, each of the Higher Education needs identified should be pursued as valid and necessary developments in their own right. There would, however, be advantage in refining this strategy by bringing together the various elements under a common structure and brand, perhaps named ‘The Jersey Higher Education Academy’ and possibly as a new legal entity. The concept is that of a ‘shopping mall’, in which the various Higher Education activities on the Island would operate in a managed partnership mode. The principal components of the ‘Academy’ would be Highlands College, the Open University, other Universities (such as currently work in Jersey), a Management Training Centre (if this role is not to be performed by Jersey Business School), business start-up and support services, and the proposed Jersey College of Law. The ‘Academy’ would also usefully include appropriate means to make available relevant information, advice and guidance, and a market intelligence service provided by the Training and Employment Partnership. The ‘Academy’ would be the means to allow development of provision in a progressive manner, and would enable initiatives to be undertaken which might otherwise be non-viable or too risky as separate entities. More especially, the ‘Academy’ would provide the necessary strategic overview of the Higher Education needs of Jersey, and (by advising the States) help to fill the policy vacuum that currently exists. Note that the proposed International Business/Management School would not be part of the ‘Academy’ as it would not be helpful to dilute or subsume the brand of a leading Business School partner.

Higher Education Development Group report, 2008

Following publication of the report the Committee established the Higher Education Development Group (HEDG), chaired by Dr Goldstein, “to co-ordinate the provision and development of higher education within the Island and to advise the States….on matters relating to need, development and funding”. The Group’s final report was published in July 2008. Key points from the executive summary of the report were –

• The importance of strategic relationships with established and high-quality international providers has been recognised
• The report describes creation (or identification) of a substantial body of new undergraduate programmes to be delivered on-Island, related to the economic needs of Jersey and developed in close partnership with the relevant employer base. Attention has been given to the following sectors (in order of extent of development): art and design; financial services; business information technology; childhood services; law; hospitality and catering. Particular mention is made of the new Foundation degree in Financial Services.
• The report describes the creation of the ‘University Centre for Jersey’- a high quality teaching and learning facility to be the focus for all general higher education delivery on-Island. This will be maintained and administered by Highlands College, but available to all providers of higher education on-Island, as well as providing a base for those studying by distance learning. This has the potential to raise the visibility and quality of on-Island provision and to stimulate further growth.
• Work has also been carried out in respect of post-graduate developments, including both a generic MBA programme and the creation of the ‘Jersey Leadership Laboratory’ to enhance management innovation and creativity at the highest levels across the Jersey economy.
• The report also identifies a more far-reaching suggestion in which synergy between various education elements might be better facilitated, namely creation of the ‘Jersey Education Park.’ The rationale for this is given, and the Skills Board may wish to take the concept further.
• The key recommendations in the report were

o To support creation and development of the University Centre for Jersey.

o To develop a higher education strategy for Jersey (through the proposed advisory group, if established).

o To give further consideration to the concept of the “Jersey Education Park”.

The Group recognised that its work should be brought within the Government machinery through the newly constituted Skills Board.

Interestingly the Government business plan 2012 included “development of vocational and professional learning opportunities to the highest level in all our major areas of economic activity delivered by the University Centre for Jersey and other providers”

The University Centre for Jersey – future role, report by Dr Michael Goldstein, 2009

This report, prepared by Dr Goldstein for the States of Jersey Skills Board, made the case for a “University Centre for Jersey” (UCfJ) –

It is important to recognise some practical aspects. At present, for reasons of simplicity, economics and expediency, the UCfJ is intimately linked to Highlands College, in terms of governance, general and financial management, and physically in College premises. Any alternative model will need to recognise the present position while addressing its disadvantages. It should also not incur additional cost.

The following model is proposed as a pragmatic solution, and reflects the fact that the College is not a body corporate but is funded by and is accountable to the States, as is the Skills Board:

a. UCfJ should be separately and uniquely branded, and no link to Highlands College should be indicated or implied. It should have its own corporate identity, website etc, and the postal address should refer to the Highlands campus (or simply ‘Highlands’ and not the College.

b. As a corollary, any materials used by Highlands College (for publicity, teaching etc) should not imply that UCfJ is part of or directly associated with the College. If College programmes are to be delivered in UCfJ, they should be so described and not branded alongside UCfJ.

c. UCfJ should be managed through a small Management Board, independent of the College, reporting directly to the Skills Board (which would thus maintain the strategic overview). The Management Board should enter into a service level agreement for the College for it to provide day-today operational management of the Centre.

d. The Centre Manager should be seconded to the Centre and accountable to the Management Board and not to College management.

e. The Skills Board should approve a rolling business plan for UCfJ, as developed by the Management Board, covering aims and objectives, activities, annual budgets, and performance indicators, and formally receive regular reports of progress (including management accounts) against this plan.

f. Financial control should continue to be through the College Board of Governors, with accounts separately identified and reported to the Skills Board.

Review of the nursing workforce in Jersey, report by Dr Michael Goldstein, 2011

This report was prepared by Dr Goldstein for the States of Jersey Skills Board. Relevant extracts from the summary are set out below –

This review has confirmed that there are serious problems in recruitment and retention of Registered Nurses (RNs) in the Health and Social Services Department, and has ascertained that these problems exist to at least the same extents in the Family Nursing and Home Care service and in registered nursing homes on the Island. Quantitative and illustrative data are given, which show that current initiatives alone are unlikely to resolve the underlying problem. The issue will likely get more severe as the population ages and as expectations and demands increase.

The consequences of this position are:

a. increasing dependence on supply of RNs from the UK;

b. poor value for money due to the very high costs of recruiting and retaining UK-origin RNs;

c. very limited opportunities for Jersey people to train on the Island as nurses, and develop careers which contribute to the wellbeing of Jersey;

d. potential for reduced quality and safety of care due to lack of continuity from use of agency staff;

e. low capacity in provision of nursing homes as demand increases.

To tackle the problems at source, the supply of locally-trained RNs needs to be increased. A number of options for achieving this are described, and their pros and cons presented:

a. growth of the existing OU schemes;

b. focussing on ‘open’ recruitment;

c. an alternative franchise or validation;

d. collaboration with Guernsey.

These are not all mutually exclusive; in particular option (c) could be combined to best effect with (b).

Higher education on Jersey – the next phase:“the University of Jersey”, report by Dr Michael Goldstein, 2012

In September 2012 the States of Jersey Skills Board published Higher education on Jersey – the next phase: “the University of Jersey”, written by Dr Goldstein. Following is a summary of the executive summary.

• In recent years, significant progress has been made in providing higher education courses in Jersey. This work, lately under the aegis of the Skills Board, has established the University Centre for Jersey (UCfJ), and has been very successful in providing courses in partnership with employers which meet the needs of the future Jersey economy and a range of Jersey people.
• More recently, several other providers have begun to offer higher education programmes on-Island, and plans for further developments are underway.
• This paper proposes a simple and cost-effective way for the benefits of these developments to be realised, and for Jersey to achieve its long-held ambition to establish “The University of Jersey”.
• The first step would be to bring the existing and intending providers together into “The University Partnership for Jersey (UPJ)”. This would have the following functions:
• identifying bona fide providers wishing to contribute to Jersey’s higher education offering;
• identifying areas for future higher education development on the Island, including through joint activities between the partners (including new partners);
• promoting and branding the combined higher education offer
• collaborating with employers and States departments to ensure on-going relevance to the Island’s need;
• being light touch, un-bureaucratic, non-regulatory, and clearly adding value to the partners involved.
• UPJ would be akin to a ‘shopping mall’ for higher education.
• While a common geographical location might be considered in the long term, there is no compelling need for this,
• UPJ should be quite distinct from UCfJ, and distinctly branded (specifically, distinct from Highlands College, UCfJ and ESC).
• Given current and planned activities, the combined provision coming within the scope of the UPJ would credibly be that of a small university, in terms of both size and scope of its courses. It would have not insignificant potential for creation of a research capability, a postgraduate school, and a developing international presence. Indeed, in a relatively short time, depending on commitment and support, it would be a university in all but name and traditional governance. A realistic vision would thus be for UPJ to become a unique kind of University in its own right – “The University of Jersey” – one which involves multiple providers and awarding bodies.
• The simplest, and most cost-effective model to achieve creation of “The University of Jersey” would be one in which the UPJ was designated as “The University of Jersey” without degree-awarding powers. The degrees would continue to be solely those of the component institutions so that “The University of Jersey” would be purely a renaming of UPJ. There would thus be no significant change of the current position, but the long sought-after ambition of a “University of Jersey” could be realised without creating any new provision.

The proposals set out in this paper thus present a route to creation of “The University of Jersey” which builds upon the track record of on-Island higher education without perturbing the current provision, and in a highly cost-effective way. The benefits would be to:

• further encourage Jersey students to study on-Island, thereby reducing outward flow of States and private funding for their higher education;
• reduce the outward flow of talent from the Island;
• provide a stimulus to the economy, indeed, create a new economic sector and genuinely new jobs, by bringing international students to study in Jersey;
• provide a basis for establishment of a research capability related to the Island’s needs;
• provide an intellectual and professional resource to support development of Research Institutes (being explored under the aegis of the States’ Economic Development Department);
• encourage employers to base their development and leadership programmes on the Island rather than, as currently, off-shore;
• provide an intellectual focus and resource for the Island’s future development.

A new skills strategy 2012, report by Dr Michael Goldstein

This report makes proposals for a new skills strategy. It proposed an overarching statement of aims –

“The overall aim of the States of Jersey Skills Strategy is to support achievement of the States Strategic Plan. To this end, it will develop means to enhance the skills levels of Jersey’s resident population to meet the changing needs of the economy, thereby contributing to achieving maximum possible levels of employment and minimal use of imported labour”

This was followed with four strategic objectives –

• To minimise unemployment
• To enable employers to recruit locally
• To maximise occupational potential
• To support increased productivity

The report identified a number of short-term and medium-term priorities.

Higher Education – options for the future, 2013

In 2013 executives of the Skills Board prepared a paper on options for the future. The summary is set out below –

a) No new intervention – ie let individual providers offer higher education courses they consider the market justifies, independently and uncoordinated. Collaboration between individual providers would arise from individual initiatives.

b) University Partnership for Jersey (UPJ) – ie support the creation of a consortium of providers to promote the courses they offer in a more coherent way, and facilitate cooperation to extend the range of opportunities for Jersey people. The proponents for this option argue that this will enhance the higher education offer on the Island, be of benefit to Jersey people, and support Jersey employers; it is low cost and low risk, and has the potential to develop as the “University of Jersey”. The re-establishment of the University Centre for Jersey as an independent facility separate from Highlands College will be of benefit in the medium term

c) ‘Proposed University of Jersey’ – ie support a new, privately-funded institution which in the longer term would seek to gain degree awarding powers and the University title. The proponents for this option argue that this would form the basis of a new economic sector for the Island. By concentrating on postgraduate courses for international students, it should not interfere with option (b), except that there is potential conflict with the title “University of Jersey”

d) A combined, pragmatic approach – which supports both options (b) and (c) by recognising that they are not mutually exclusive, and that some organisations might, initially at least, wish to stay outside the Partnership as in option (a). The solution regarding the matter of name is to defer any decision until such time as the award of university title becomes a live issue; if the privately-funded institution reaches the stage when “University of Jersey” becomes academically and financially viable to assume that title, then the different title of “State University of Jersey” could be granted to a developed UPJ at such time as that were also viable.

This Skills Board was then superseded by a newly constituted Skills Jersey. However, there is nothing on the Skills Jersey website to indicate any further discussion of these issues. There is a 2017 report Skills Strategy 2017-2022. This is silent on higher education but does refer to plans under development such as the Higher Education Strategy.

There is no trace of any subsequent work on a higher education strategy.

In July 2019 the Government published A post 16 strategy for Jersey. The executive summary is set out below –

After significant consultation, this White Paper has as its focus a post-16 education strategy for Jersey, which will ensure current and future tertiary education is world-class and fit for purpose. The work carried out as part of this review will feed into the review of Education for Jersey.

This identified a number of key objectives underlying the strategy including –

• Ensuring tertiary education on island is high quality and ‘fit for purpose’
• Creating tertiary education on island which has international appeal

The report included –

Key objective 4 –Creating an international offer in Jersey for post-16 education at undergraduate and postgraduate level –

• We will explore ways to continue to support Jersey-domiciled students who wish to study abroad.
• We will encourage overseas institutions to establish provision on the island. We will ensure that possibilities are well publicised and that international institutions are aware of opportunities within Jersey, especially at postgraduate level. We will put in place the rigorous quality assurance, licensing and accreditation processes described above, and subject to these, and to the need discussed above to manage new providers in a way that does not damage existing high-quality provision, we will encourage institutions based abroad to supplement on-island provision.
• Encourage students from abroad to continue their further and higher-education studies in Jersey In order to assess the feasibility and value of developing an international tertiary education offer, we will need to examine the type(s) of provision attractive to international students, and the academic, physical and administrative infrastructure required to welcome and accommodate them. Postgraduate students are among the most internationally mobile (in the UK, for example, there are as many international postgraduate as undergraduate students), and given Jersey’s reputation, taught professional Masters degrees in aspects of banking, law and finance could prove highly marketable. In this light, an aspiration to create a niche international tertiary education sector appears possible.
• We will examine the feasibility and value of creating ‘Study Jersey’ with a remit to attract students from overseas to pursue programmes in Jersey. Beyond this, we will extend the use of the Global Market Strategy to widen collaboration with other jurisdictions on post-16 education. The example of the University of Gibraltar with 100 of its 300 students in 2018 being from overseas – and most studying at postgraduate level – shows what is possible (though we would not propose to emulate Gibraltar by setting up a freestanding university in Jersey).

The Common Strategic Policy of the current Council of Ministers, and the Proposed Government Plan 2024-2027 and the Minister for Children and Education’s delivery plan for 2023 -2026, published in February 2023, are all silent on higher education.

However, the Minister for Children and Education’s ministerial plan for 2024 does include “developing a strategy for on-island provision of Higher Education in partnership with local providers”.