Humanities departments at higher education (HE) institutions throughout the United Kingdom must determine what business expects of the humanities, devise strategies to improve understanding of the objectives and contribution of HE in the humanities, and develop language and standards that will enable members of the academic and business communities to evaluate and improve the relationship between humanities education and the working world. Nearly 20,000 individuals, including many mature students, graduate from humanities programs in the United Kingdom each year. Humanities programs can broaden business thinking by preparing students to make complex judgments and think internationally and by shaping "useful" individuals with disciplined minds, essential numeracy and foreign language skills, and the ability to make informed choices. Despite the fact that much of the education provided in humanities programs prepares individuals with profiles promising for management, many employers have expressed concerns that a humanities degree is not a professional qualification and that humanities graduates must be trained. Companies and HE institutions must work together to ensure that humanities programs are a bridge to the working world. (Appended is a table summarizing the numbers of humanities first degrees awarded in 1988 by universities, polytechnics, and colleges throughout the United Kingdom.) (MN)