in addition, there is the possibility for HEIs to provide, or at least facilitate, appropriate paid earn as you learn employment opportunities for students, which incorporate work-based learning. This would respond directly to the Leitch Report (2006) recommendation that Universities encourage more active employer engagement within the curriculum. This focus on, and integration of, work-related and work-based learning activities, alongside the traditional one-year placements also goes some way to providing the necessary financial support for students to engage with higher education and has potential to dramatically enhance the skills base, and employability, of graduates.