University Challenge

Supporting the Education Sector Through Change

As 2019 approaches, bringing with it the looming insecurities that will likely accompany Brexit and all its vagaries, the British university system finds itself faced with an uncertain future. This mood was epitomised in a 2018 study by The Guardian which found that a significant proportion of senior University leaders which it surveyed, felt markedly less optimistic about the outlook for the future than they had done previously.

As with many industries, the sector finds itself vulnerable to a uniquely 21st century set of pressures and challenges. A widening of the recruitment pools of many of the top Universities, combined with changes in social attitudes towards higher education, has led to the marginalisation of many smaller institutions. In addition a declining number of international students combined with potential cuts to tuition fees (currently being given serious consideration under the Governments’ review of Post 18 education), means potential financial disaster for many Universities who already find themselves on the brink.
To top it off, rising staff costs (including proposed changes to pension contributions), has led to many senior figures within higher education starting to talk in hushed tones about the two R’s; restructuring and redundancies.

Whilst nothing is certain, the potential for some changes resulting in job cuts looks increasingly likely and with it comes an acceptance that employees will need more support to broaden their skillsets in order to transition to new roles quickly and easily.

The good news is that the demand for permanent staff more generally appears to be on the rise with employers willing (and able) to pay more for the talent they need. However, with rapid changes in technology and with employers utilising ever more sophisticated recruitment strategies, the job market is an increasingly complex and scary world, particularly for those employees who have been in the sector or with the same institution for many years or who have had little need to look elsewhere for alternative career opportunities.

As specialists in the field of career transition and outplacement support, Renovo has seen a marked increase in the number of organisations from the Education Sector (including a significant number of Universities), who recognise the difficulties which they and their employees may face in future.
With an acceptance that the most impactful way to ensure a positive outcome for their people is to provide them with access to guidance and support from a UK job market expert, employers can safeguard the future security and job prospects for their employees with practical and highly impactful guidance.

To understand how Renovo is helping Universities across the UK to support their employees during redundancy, email us at info@renovo.co.uk, or telephone us on 0800 612 2011.