The extra places would be paid for by introducing an early repayment bonus for existing graduates repaying their debts to the taxpayer ahead of schedule, a move that NUS President, Wes Streeting, called “a creative solution to a short term problem”.
Cameron, the leader of the Conservative Party, made the announcement on BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show which has courted controversy in recent weeks for the line of questioning Marr took on the topic of Gordon Brown’s health.
Cameron announced “200,000 extra apprenticeships, 10,000 more university places next year, [which are] vital because of the problems we faced, 100,000 extra places for FE colleges. It is the big centrepiece of our conference because we recognise that the jobs crisis is one of the serious things we face as a country.”
Responding to the remarks, NUS President Wes Streeting said:
"We welcome the Conservatives' creative solution to a serious short term problem. This year saw unprecedented demand for a limited number of places, meaning significant numbers of well qualified applicants lost out. Given that demand is set to increase further still next year, the commitment to providing additional, fully funded places, is incredibly important.
"We would be concerned if this approach set a precedent whereby those from more affluent backgrounds enjoyed preferential repayment conditions on loan debt. Given that those from the poorest backgrounds are most likely to lose out without an urgent expansion of places, this is an acceptable short term fix."
Cameron was speaking ahead of the Conservative Party Conference which takes place this week in Manchester.