Microsoft calls on elite universities to join schools in IT course revamp

Microsoft has called on universities to revamp their IT programmes to help prepare students for careers in the industry.

The calls come as the government tries to make the computer science curriculum in schools more interesting, to encourage students to study the subject at university or join the IT industry through apprenticeships.

In an interview with V3, Microsoft senior corporate affairs manager Stephen Uden said he supports the government in the changes it is making to IT studies in schools, but suggested some universities also need to change their courses.

"I am really pleased that the education secretary decided to drop the IT GCSE, and that the government is working to replace it with a computer science qualification to prepare people for the future," said Uden.

"But universities need to make their teaching more relevant to the modern day IT workplace. There needs to be more industry-focused content in what universities are teaching, particularly around the disciplines of cloud computing and security."

However, Uden made it clear that he was not suggesting universities should simply churn out industry courses.

"I just think we need to meet in the middle, and some universities need to listen more to the skills the industry so badly needs," he said.

"I don't want to dictate what universities teach. And I am not talking about them focusing more on Microsoft technologies. I am talking about Java as well, and that students should be learning about the latest IT."

Uden said only "some" universities need to change the way they teach IT, and he would not name specific institutions. However, he did say that it tends to be the universities at the top of the league tables that have the courses least relevant to industry.