Producing the skills that UK business needs must be a three-way relationship between employers, universities and undergraduates, according to Richard Irwin, head of student recruitment, PwC.

Irwin says: “It looks like the employer/university relationship will become more important as the new wave of fees comes into force and students expect a clearer route into employment.

“Developing the skills that business needs cannot solely result from a partnership between business and academia — it must be a three-way relationship, which places responsibility on the individual to focus on developing themselves with guidance from these institutions, and it is essential that this is not done for them.

“Those individuals who take the initiative and responsibility for helping their own development are far more attractive to organisations like ours. Entrepreneurialism is a crucial skill to succeed in this post-recession economy, and starting early is important.

“Academics will only take you so far so students need to think strategically about their broader experience. Extracurricular activities like volunteering, playing an instrument and part-time work can all strengthen a CV and help find a career.”

Earlier this week the government released a Higher Education White Paper, which aims to:

• Ensure better information for students before they apply, better teaching while at university, greater transparency in areas such as feedback on their work and better preparation for the job market.

• Encourage universities to engage actively with employers to accredit or ‘kitemark’ courses to indicate to students that they are valued by them.

• Ensure that the Office for Fair Access is properly resourced so that it can go further and faster to drive fair access for students from lower income families and widen participation.

• Enable a wider range of providers to join the sector to offer more choice for students.