The government has unveiled a plan to produce shorter vocational courses and attract 20,000 mature students by 2011.

The initiative will aim to encourage links between universities and employers, attracting non-traditional students to intensive vocational degrees. The report, Higher Education at Work, was released by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills in April.

The report reveals an increasing demand for employees of higher-levels skills. It also points out a number of potential new students outside schools and sixth-form colleges.

According to the report, over four million adults with qualifications equivalent to a foundation-level GCSE have considered or are willing to consider higher education. A further six million workers could be encouraged to consider university if it was possible to study from their home or workplaces.

In order for such a scheme to work, the report urges higher education institutions and businesses to develop, “a better, more mature relationship”. It proposes that the courses could be co-funded by colleges and employers. Another suggestion is that employers’ in-house business training could be accredited by the universities.

These practical courses would be developed by universities and businesses. They will be geared towards adult commitments and may be shorter and more flexible, making it possible to learn away from the university. These would be marketed to employers by Sector Skills Councils (SSCs). Having published the report, the DIUS will consult universities and workplaces to find out how to move ahead.

The paper also reports that many graduates are not prepared for the world of work. It suggests that universities promote student employability by incorporating work placements into their courses and helping students find part time work.

Reactions to the paper have been mixed. The think-tank Million+ sounded a note of caution, arguing that the proposals involving SSCs are over-complicated and “unlikely to help” universities and employers to work together.