The days of Polish plumbers seeking work in Britain may be drawing to a close, and the flow of trade reversing. The Independent reports that 50% of young Poles are now graduating from university, compared with only 35% of Brits.

The article cites an OECD report on tertiary graduation rates and goes on to speculate:

The [university finance] review [by Lord Browne] is said to be moving towards introducing more of a university marketplace through higher fees for students – which would mean lifting the current cap of £3,225 to at least £7,000. Research evidence shows that the majority of students – about two-thirds – would be deterred from going to university if fees reached that level.

Andreas Schleicher, of the OECD's indicators and analysis division, said: "Fewer people with qualifications will mean a less successful economy. Cutting education is going to cut the tax returns of the future. For many years the UK was very much at the forefront [of higher education provision]. But now you do not see that competitive advantage."

The report revealed that the UK's nosedive was not a result of it producing fewer graduates – rather that other countries had expanded their higher education provision at a faster rate. Figures showed the UK was investing less of its Gross Domestic Product in higher education – 1.3 per cent – than the OECD average of 1.5 per cent. [...]

The Guardian recently warned people thinking of moving to Poland to work that fast-track plumbing courses currently advertised by private companies do not qualify people to work as plumbers.