This is the 67th of a series of bulletins produced by ISE to update members on key data and policy relating to Covid-19. This bulletin covers the period 12th November – 25th November 2021.

You can access all of the Covid-19 bulletins on ISE insights.

Latest COVID-19 data and news

Source: Government Covid-19 dashboard.

Please note – November figures in the top graph only currently include data until 18/11/21 for hospital admissions and 23/11/21 for cases and deaths. In addition, the average daily hospital admission rate for the most recent week in the second graph is based on data from 15/11/21 – 18/11/21.

The UK has now had over 9.9m identified Covid-19 cases and 167.9k deaths (with Covid on the death certificate) in total. Average daily case rates are still at similar levels to where they were in early October, but a decrease in both hospital admissions and death rates over the last few weeks can be observed.

Source: Government Covid-19 dashboard.

80.3% of the 12+ UK population are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, with another 8% having had one dose. 11.7% remain unvaccinated. 15.6m ‘booster’ third doses have also been given.

• UK has approved first anti-viral pill which will be given to those who have tested positive for Covid and have at least one risk factor for developing severe illness.
• High levels of immunity may help the UK avoid the new restrictions and lockdowns of Western Europe. Speed of booster jab uptake will also play a large part.
• Professor Sir Andrew Pollard claims that almost all Covid patients in ICU are unvaccinated, with most of the fully vaccinated experiencing only mild infections.
• Job adverts requiring full vaccination rose by 189% between August and October.

Education

• Widespread alarm across sector in response to government plans for Ofsted to inspect all schools and FE providers by summer 2025 despite Covid disruption.
• CIPD finds half of young people would have considered an apprenticeship if their chosen subject was available and they had the necessary support – only 1% received careers advice on apprenticeships, while 59% were helped with university applications.
• Fears of a two-tier education system forming – higher education for the elite, and job training for the rest.
• 40% of students still fully online this term, affecting satisfaction and mental health.
• Janet Ilieva investigates whether English tuition fees are the highest in the world following recent OECD claim.
• 3 days of university and college strikes over pension cuts, pay and working conditions scheduled for start of December.
• Just 600 of the 24,000 PhDs awarded in 2019/20 were in creative arts and design, creating an undersupply for arts academic staff.

Economy

• Muhammed Ali Nasir discusses how inflation is temporary and is likely to stabilise when supply and demand re-sync. High levels of inflation could slow financial market growth and increase public sector debt.

Labour market

• Over 6000 new mechanics per year required to cope with switch to electric vehicles – Halford chief executive urges government to fund the recruitment and training of mechanics.
• UK may lose its global leadership status in fintech due to technology and data skills gap preventing further evolution.
• Construction industry struggling to take on new work without EU workers – temporary workers from the EU and more apprenticeship schemes required.

Student recruitment and development

• ISE’s Tristram Hooley outlines the aspects of graduate recruitment that are likely to stick around beyond the pandemic.
• Graduates whose parents have professional jobs earn nearly £12k more in their first job after university than underprivileged peers, on average.
• Home counties struggling to find skilled workers, while London and the South East don’t as they have a wider range of candidates to choose from, widening economic inequalities.