Lifelong skills and learning opportunities are vital for all of us, whether as individuals, as businesses or across wider society. Therefore, I very much welcomed the announcement at the last Queen’s Speech that a Skills and Post-16 Education Bill would be intoduced, with the intention of establishing a lifetime skills guarantee to enable flexible access to high quality education and training throughout people’s lives. This Bill reached the House of Commons last week.
Why does matter?
- Only ten per cent of adults aged 20-45 hold a higher technical (level 4-5) qualification as their highest qualification, in comparison to 20 per cent in Germany, and 34 per cent in Canada.
- Currently 34 per cent of working age graduates are not in high skilled employment.
- In 2019 employers were unable to fill a quarter of all vacant positions because they could not find people with the right skills.
- Skills shortages account for 36 per cent of all construction vacancies and 48 per cent of all Manufacturing and Skilled Trades vacancies.
The Bill lays the legislative foundations for the reforms outlined in the Government’s Skills for Jobs: Lifelong Learning for Opportunity and Growth’ White Paper which was published in January 2021. It includes measures to address recommendations made in the Review of Post-18 Education and Funding; build on the aims of the Review of Post-16 Qualifications at Level 3 and below; and support implementation of the Government’s reforms to technical education qualifications, such as the introduction of T Levels and higher education qualifications.
As many colleagues pointed out when this Bill was debated in the Chamber last week, we need world-class vocational training routes, therefore the introduction of T-levels is a positive step. However there needs to remain an element of choice. As local headteachers have raised with me when discussing this issue, by forcing students to specialise too early, there is a danger of reducing, not enhancing, student choice.
It is the case that promoting T-levels through the over-hasty defunding of most BTECs risks holding young people back from achieving the qualifications they need. Whilst the Department for Education has confirmed that there will be an extension of one year before the defunding of courses takes place, this is a very short time for schools to get on top of the new T-level offer.
It is important that we get these qualifications right, because vocational qualifications change lives. With the current state of play, there is an uncertainty for pupils and teachers about which qualifications will be impacted and how. Therefore, it is vital that the Government provides clarification as soon as possible.
Whilst discussing skills and training, I would like to place on record my congratulations to South Devon University Technical College (UTC) in Newton Abbot on its recent Ofsted inspection raising them from ‘Requires improvement’ to ‘good’. This is fantastic news and shows the amount of hard work that has gone on behind the scenes to ensure that there is an education provision in the local area focused on scientific and technical education.
As the Ofsted report states, “Senior leaders and governors from the school have worked closely with trust leaders to reimagine the curriculum. Together, they aim to provide a technical education which results in employment for pupils, and resilient, capable employees for local industry. Their vision for the school is ambitious”. I very much support the ambitions set out by the UTC and welcome the fact that pupils are being fully equipped to enter the world of work.
Post-pandemic, it is crucial that we are able to build the workforce needed locally to continue our proud heritage when it comes to engineering and other professions, boosting employment opportunity and productivity.
If you would like to book a surgery appointment or raise a specific issue, please call my office on 01626 368277 or email annemarie.morris.mp@parliament.uk.