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Health and Social Care worker

Vocational education is changing its image

As VQ Day 2014 gets underway, Jan Hodges argues that to get rid of the two-tier system, further education must ensure its success stories aren’t just a well-kept secret. Jan Hodges OBE, Guardian Professional, Wednesday 4 June 2014.

The past 60 years has seen a steady, constant expansion in the higher education sector, with parents and policymakers alike placing ever-greater emphasis upon the “golden formula” of three A-levels and a university degree.

But the fierce competition for jobs between highly qualified graduates frequently makes the headlines as more and more people struggle to find employment, despite obtaining degrees. A new report from the Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) released today, to coincide with VQ Day 2014, reveals that many of the jobs expected to drive economic growth and mobility in the future will not necessarily require this traditional academic education pathway. Instead, the vocational path, which includes apprenticeships and on-the-job training, can open doors to an endless array of careers.

The new report, commissioned by my charity the Edge Foundation, investigates the changing landscape of the workforce in the next decade and predicts the top jobs of the future – 90% of which will be attained via vocational qualifications.

In 2022, the top three in-demand occupations will all be in health and care; nearly three million workers will be required in hospitals, care homes and the community. Economic growth will drive expansion, but further to this, the greatest influence upon job creation will be the ageing UK population, as the mid-skilled workforce retires.

Traditional skilled trades will remain in high demand. Over the next eight years, nearly half a million workers will be required within skilled construction trades, ranging from bricklayers to renewable energy geothermal pump installers.

Vocational education can also act as a pathway towards many roles historically seen as the domain of the university graduate. Associate professional careers, encompassing roles as diverse as financial advisers and dental technicians, will expand by a quarter of a million additional jobs. All of these roles can be secured through vocational education and training.

Technical, practical and vocational education has a unique role to play in the future job market, giving students the edge in a competitive jobs market by providing them with the skills, experience and clear progression routes they need to succeed. Vocational qualifications can aid progression along career paths, or facilitate entire career changes.

But further research by the Edge Foundation earlier this year found that many vocational students felt that their schools and parents did not support their decision to pursue vocational study. Many felt they would have received greater support had they followed the university route. There is evidently a perception issue when it comes to vocational education; it has become viewed by some as a second-tier offering.

However, the tide is certainly beginning to turn. Rising tuition fees have made the university route increasingly costly, with no guaranteed job at the end, while the array of vocational qualifications on offer today is greater than ever before.

Vocational education is undergoing an image change. As education professionals, our job is to encourage availability of knowledge and information about all options available to students. Parity of esteem is vital to remove the archaic two-tiered perception of post-16 education options.

To see the full article go to The Guardian Online.

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