News

Employers' Forum Advisory Group Established

The UTP has established a group to advise the Employers' Forum’s Chair on the structure and content of Forum meetings as well as on other activities involving the UTP that are of direct relevance to employers of UTP graduates.

The Advisory Group's members are Roger Bird, Newcastle University, Craig Drennan, WSP, Graham Holmes, Graham Holmes Consulting, Martin Reed, Arup, Tony Sheach, Peter Brett Associates, Andy Wren, Hampshire County Council and Keith Youngman, Mouchel. (20 Ju;y 2010)

The "New" Employers' Forum

With the withdrawal of EPSRC funding for vocational Masters courses, from the end of the 2008/9 academic year, and the decision of the Department of Transport not to provide any replacement funding for either student bursaries or support of other UTP activities, the Employers' Forum has become a subscription based organisation.

By the time of the first meeting of the "new" Forum on 20 April 2010, 19 organisations had joined the Forum. They are Arup, Atkins, Dorset County Council, Graham Holmes Consulting, Halcrow, Hampshire County Council, the London Borough of Hounslow, the Highways Agency, Hyder, Mouchel, MVA, Peter Brett, RAND Europe, RPS, Scott Wilson, TRL, URS, Waterman-Boreham and WSP.

Presentations included a Research Briefing on Smarter Choices at the UTP universities and the establishment of a cross faculty transport research organisation - Transport Newcastle - at Newcastle University. There was also a round table discussion on the format of and topics to be covered by future Forum meetings (25 April 2010)

UTP Student Numbers Up

The number of UK students on UTP Masters courses has continued to increase, despite the lack of government financed studentships. The total across all UTP Masters course grew by 9% this academic year to 199 “Full Time Equivalents”, with a 13% increase in full time students, to 60, and a 6% rise in part timers, to 139. There was an even larger rise in students from other EU countries, up 37% to 61, although the number from the rest of the world fell – down 10%.- the total of 84 is still a very healthy number. John Polak, UTP Management Group chair said ”the ability of the UTP courses to attract students from outside the UK reflects the strength of our courses, a real success story, particularly as we have 85% of all non-UK students studying in the UK for a transport Masters.”

16 of the 60 full time UK students have been awarded bursaries, including six by the Rees Jeffreys Road Fund, and three by the Brian Large Bursary Fund, and two are being supported by their employers, while the rest are self funded.

124 of the139 UK part timers are supported financially by their employers, 11 are fully funding their studies themselves and 4 have a bursary. Martin Richards, Employers’ Forum chair said “the commitment of employers to staff development through recession is very encouraging. They are evidently taking a medium term view; seeking to be sure they have the skilled staff ready for the upturn. But they would only do this if they were convinced with the value of the UTP Masters course, which they clearly are.”

The Future of the UTP

Given the decisions of EPSRC and DfT (see next news posting), the future of the Universities' Transport Partnership was the focus of discussion at the UTP Employers' Forum meeting on 5 May at Imperial College London. The employers expressed strong support for maintaining the UTP, and in particular its Employers' Forum, after September 2009, when the EPSRC funding ends. They felt that industry had benefited from both the cooperation between universities and the outward facing UTP activities including the Forum, the UTP website and The Right Lines, the UTP newsletter.

Although it was thought unlikely that any new source of funding for full time student bursaries could be found for 2009/10, not least because of the economy, it was important to keep the UTP intact, so it could speak for both thee universities and industry in the search for new bursary funding for future years.

Working with employers. the UTP will seek to develop a subscription based structure for the Employers' Forum, while continuing to seek some funding from DfT. (6 May 2009)

Public Funding for Transport Masters Students to End

With the decision of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to replace the programme under which it (and its predecessors) has funded transport Masters students for some 50 years with one focussed on the transfer of knowledge about research it has funded, there will bo no public funding support for UK students studying full time in 2009/10 for a UTP transport Masters. In recent years, EPSRC funding has supported some 30 students a year, accounting for two thirds of all full time UK students on UTP transport Masters courses.

The UTP asked the Department for Transport if it could provide bursaries to help fill the gap ctreated by the withdawal of EPSRC support but was told that whilst the need was recognised, constraints on Departmental resources prevented such support for 2009/10. However, it is considering how it should respond to technical and professional skill shortages in the transport sector identified in its and Transport for London's Project Brunel study. This might include some form of support in future years. (4 April 2009)

Government Ignores Request for Inclusion of Transport Planners on Tier 2 Shortage Occupations List.

A letter from the UTP Employers' Forum Chair to the Immigration Minister requesting that transport planners and traffic engineers be included in the new Tier 2 Visa Shortage Occupations list, has gone unanswered, as has a reminder, and with one exception theMigration Advosry Committee's recommendaed list has been adopted by the Government..

Thus, from 27 November 2008, only those transport planners and traffic engineers from outside the EEA who score sufficient Tier 2 points on crteria other than being within a "shortage occupation" wiill be able to work here. (20 November 2008).

Migration Advisory Committee recommends exclusion of Transport Planners from new Tier 2 Visa Shortage Occupations

In a report published on 9 September 2009, the Home Office's Migration Advisory Committee recommended against the inclusion of transport and traffic planners and traffic engineers on the Shortage Occupations list for the new Tier 2 visas, to be introduced in November. Whilst acknowledging that a case had been made - by the UTP Employers' Forum and sector skills council GoSkills - the Committee concluded that it would be prudent to await publication and study of the final report of Project Brunel, a Department for Transport and Transport for London study on professional and technical skill needs across the transport spectrum. At a meeting of the Employers' Forum on 17 September, it was agreed that Martin Richards, the Forum's Chair, should write to Lyam Byrne, the Home Office Minister responsible for immigation, and to Ruth Kelly,Transport Secretary, urging the inclusion of transport and traffc planners and traffc engineers on the new Shortage Occupations list, noting that they are on the current list.(25 September 2008)

New EPSRC Funding Arrangements Reduce Support for Masrters Courses

Under new funding arrangements planned to commence in 2009, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) intends to reduce its support for Masters courses. The new arrangements, Knowledge Transfer Accounts (KTAs). will be focussed on the transfer of knowledge about EPSRC funded research into industry. As a result, EPSRC funding for Masters courses is expected to be limited to those courses, or elements of courses, that primarily transfer EPSRC funded research knowledge.

For many years, EPSRC funding has supported about 30 students a year studying full time for a transport Masters at a UTP university, accounting for about two thirds of all full time UK students.

Martin Richards, Chair of the UTP Employers' Forum said "this change in Research Council policy has serious implications for the supply of bright new entrants into transport. Whilst it might make good sense for EPSRC, it does not seem consistent with the Government's stress on improving skills, nor for the need for the skills to meet the Government's policies and plans for transport".

The implications of the new arrangements for the UTP and support for UK Masters students will be discussed at the UTP Employers Forum on 17 September, at Imperial College London. (16 August 2008)

Updated National Shortage Occupations List Published
The latest, June 2008, version of the National Shortage Occupations List includes the following:

Transportation and Highways Engineers:
Engineers who are required to have a transport-related degree, or a degree and at least 2
years relevant experience from a civil background in the following specialisms:
- Traffic Engineer or Transport Planner
- Highways Design Engineer or Highways Planning Enginee.

This list will remain in place until replaced by that based on the Migration Advisory Committee's recommendation, due to come into effect in the autumn, at the same time as the Tier 2 Points Based visa is introduced (see Tier 2 Visa and Work Permits to be Replaced stories below). (16 June 2008)

New Points Based Tier 2 Visa System Announced

The Home Office has announced the proposed details of its new Tier 2 points based visa for Skilled Workers, which will replace the current work permit arrangements for immigrants from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) - see Work Permits to be Replaced story below.

Under the proposals for the new scheme, skilled staff will have to score at least 70 points, 10 of which relate to their ability to support themselves and their dependents, and a further 10 to their competence in English.

Of the balance of 50 pointss, all 50 can be scored for a job on the shortage occupations list, and 30 if the sponsor can prove that the appointment satisfies a "resident labour market test" - in principle reasonable evidence that the post cannot be filled from within the EEA. A Bachelors or Masters degree scores 10, and prospective earnings of at least £20,000 another 10. Thus, a graduate with a salary of at least £20,000 with a job offer for a post that cannot be filled from within the EEA should secure the necessary 50 points, even if the post is not covered by the shortage occupations list. However, through GoSkills, the UTP Employers' Forum has submitted a case for the inclusion of transport planners with at least five years experience and with particular skills in one of modelling, economics or public transport, as well as traffic planners and engineers with at least five years experience and with particular skills in one of modelling, traffic control, ITS or traffic management.

Tier 2 also covers inter-company transfers, with an inter-company transfer scoring 30 points, as an alternate to either a job on the shortage occupations list or qualification under the "resident labour market" test. Thus, an inter-company transfer to fill a positoon on the shortage occupations list might be better considered under the latter category, depending on the academic qualifications and salary of the person concerned.

More information is available from the Borders Agency.

Employers wishing to obtain a Tier 2 visa for staff from outside the EEA will have to be registered with the Borders Agency as Sponsors, and draft proposals for these arrangements have also been published.

Although neither document is consultative, the Home Office is open to comments; response details are provided in the respective documemts. The UTP Employers' Forum will be considering whether it would be appropriate to submit any comments on the proposed Tier 2 arangmets, which give equal weighting to Bachelors amnd Masters degrees, and no points for professional qualifications (8 May 2008)

Professional Development Scheme for Transport Planners Launched

The Transport Planning Society has launched a Professional Development Scheme for Transport Planners. Based on the National Occupational Standards (NOS) for Transport Planning and developed in close cooperation with employers - some through the UTP Employers' Forum - the TPS Scheme has been designed to provide the technical competences a professional transport planner needs. The Scheme also satisfies the requirements of the new IHT/TPS Transport Planning Professional (TPP) qualification and professional development schemes based on the TPS Scheme will be accredited by CILT UK.

A series of questions and answers on the TPS Professional Development Scheme and the TPP qualification are contained in an article in the TPS newsletter All Change.

Further information on the TPS Professional Development Scheme and the TPP qualification is available from The Transport Planning Society and the Institution of Highways and Transportation (2 May 2008)

Work Permits to be Replaced

The work permit system is being replaced by the new points based visa system, Tier 1, for highly skilled immigrants was introduced in February. Anyone with a Tier 1 visa does not need a UK sponsor, and it is possible that some transport professionals will be able to obtain a Tier 1 visa, but to do that they need to be young, have at least a Masters and also a good current salary; the older they are, the higher their current salary needs to be. Further information is at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/workingintheuk/pointsbasedsystem/

Tier 2, for "skilled workers with a job offer to come in to fill gaps in the United Kingdom labour force", will be introduced in the autumn of 2008. Employers will have to make the application, and to do that they need to be licensed. Information on licenes is at www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers/points/applying/getalicence/

In parallel with the introduction of Tier 2, it is expected that there will be a new "Shortage Occupations" list. The Home Office has appointed the Migration Advisory Committee to advise it on occupations to be included. The Committee is starting with a blank sheet – there will be no automatic transfer of occupations from the current list, which includes a variety of transport skills. Working with GoSkills, the Sector Skills Council that covers transport planning, the UTP Employers’ Forum is seeking inclusion of transport planners with at least five years experience and with particular skills in one of modelling, economics or public transport, as well as traffic planners and engineers with at least five years experience and with particular skills in one of modelling, traffic control, ITS or traffic management. The case for the inclusion of these occupations is based on research undertaken by the Employers' Forum in 2007 and the Transport Planning Skills Initiative.

The Migration Advisory Committee is due to publish its proposed new Shortage Occupations list in June 2008. It is expected that anyone with an occupation on the list, and satisfying other key requirements should be able to qualify for a Tier 2 visa. (18 April 2008)

New Funding Arrangements Awaited

Information on the new EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) funding arrangements for Masters level education are expected to be announced in the Summer. These will replace the Collaborative Training Account arrangements, that support the UTP. The UTP is awaiting the agreement of EPSRC to bid for the funding as the UTP. The total funding available is likely to be much less than in the previous round, so competition for schemes such as UTP is likely to be fierce. (18 April 2008)

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