MPs are to vote on controversial plans

Lib Dem ministers have said the party will approach the vote in a disciplined manner.

MPs are to vote on controversial plans to raise tuition fees in England on 9 December, ministers have confirmed.

The vote will be a critical test for the coalition, which has faced mass protests over its plan to nearly double fees to £6,000 and allow charges of up to £9,000 for some courses.

The Lib Dems have come under heavy pressure after pledging before the election not to support any fee rise.

Ministers insist the proposals are fairer than the current system.

But student leaders say the proposals - which followed the independent Browne review of student finance - will deter people from poorer backgrounds from applying to university.

The National Union of Students have said they will hold a "day of action" on Wednesday 8 December, on the eve of the Commons vote.

The deputy prime minister and Lib Dem party leader Nick Clegg has been speaking to all his MPs to try and forge an agreed position on what the party will do when the issue comes before Parliament.

Voting intentions

The Lib Dems' coalition agreement with the Conservatives allows their MPs to abstain in votes on tuition fees, reflecting the party's longstanding opposition to the charges - currently capped at £3,290.

However, a number of Lib Dem MPs - including party president Tim Farron and former leader Sir Menzies Campbell - have indicated they intend to vote against.

Business Secretary Vince Cable, who drew up the reform package, has said his "strong inclination" is to vote for the proposals.

However he has hinted he might abstain if that is what his party agrees - a position described as "outrageous" by Labour.

Student leaders have accused the Lib Dems of betraying their pre-election pledge not to raise fees and the party has been the focus of anger at protests across the country in recent weeks.

But Mr Clegg and Mr Cable have defended the proposals - which will see no upfront payments and graduates starting to repay the cost of their degrees when they earn £21,000.

They say low-earning students will contribute less than under the system the coalition inherited.

The BBC's Political Correspondent Carole Walker said Thursday's vote would be limited to whether to approve the £9,000 fee ceiling for 2012-3 and other matters would be considered in the new year - when ministers are expected to publish a white paper on the future of universities.

The Conservatives largely support the rise in fees, which they argue is needed to ensure British universities remain competitive.

However Labour has accused the government of curtailing public funding for most degree courses and passing the financial burden onto students.

Leader Ed Miliband's plan for an alternative graduate tax - where graduates would pay a percentage of their income towards the cost of their university education - has yet to win the backing of key figures such as shadow chancellor Alan Johnson. http://www.cvjobstore.com/

Education News: McDonald's to launch their own Degree

The degree for managers marks McDonald's latest move into education for its staff.

McDonald's is introducing its own degree course in business management for its restaurant bosses in the UK.

The foundation degree, which will be accredited by Manchester Metropolitan University, marks the fast-food company's latest move into education.

McDonald's apprenticeship scheme, launched 18 months ago, has been given a "good" rating by Ofsted.

Senior vice-president David Fairhurst says it challenges "snobbish" misconceptions about McDonald's staff.

"The old 'McJob' label is lazy and snobbish," he says.

The two-year foundation degree in managing business operations is a demonstration of how seriously the company takes the training of its staff, says Mr Fairhurst.

The degree is a customised version of Manchester Metropolitan University's management development programme.

It will mean that McDonald's employees will be able to get a nationally recognised qualification without leaving their jobs, he says.

It will be taught by a combination of classroom study, e-learning and training in the workplace.

"People no longer want to choose between jobs and education. They should not be parallel universes," says Mr Fairhurst.

Instead, he says there should be a model that is more like a "revolving door" - in which people can train and work at the same time.

Mr Fairhurst says the restaurant company, with 85,000 staff in the UK, wants to be a "pioneer" in educating employees.

McDonald's is set to publish a company education prospectus, which it believes is the first of its kind.

Two years ago, McDonald's was given awarding body status, allowing it to develop and award its own qualifications.

The restaurant company is also set to reveal that Ofsted will give a "good" rating to its apprenticeship programme, launched 18 months ago.

This can provide apprenticeships for 10,000 staff per year.

Such external approval is important in giving "credibility" to such in-house training, he says.

Mr Fairhurst says this isn't a philanthropic gesture, as improved skills in the workforce lead to better sales.

And he argues that the broader economy needs to provide a way for workers to keep developing skills and qualifications, particularly for those who might not have succeeded at school.

This will be a degree for managers - but McDonald's says that 90% of its restaurant managers began as crew.

The plan was backed by Richard Lambert, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), who said it was a "great illustration of how business can play its part in helping to deliver high quality vocational training".

This is the latest example of companies developing their own qualifications.

The department store Harrods set up a degree course for its staff, in conjunction with Anglia Ruskin University.

Microsoft has its own qualifications which were awarded to about 17,500 people in the UK last year.

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New education and training jobs posted

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