The
Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) today welcomed government proposals
aimed at giving vocational education the same status as the academic route.
The
Government’s new strategy for the 14-19-year old age group, which is aimed at
“extending opportunities, raising standards”, will see the cutting back of the
curriculum to make space for pupils who want to opt for vocational lessons.
The
intention is to provide options for both academic and non-academic pupils,
which will keep most young people in education and training until the age of
19.
Martin
Temple, the EEF’s director general said: “These changes will help the drive to
ensure vocational routes are seen as an equal pathway – not just to employment,
but also to Higher Education – and not simply a default option for those
students who are seen as less academic.
“Engineering
is a demanding subject, as are all vocational qualifications, and manufacturers
will wish to see them opened up to students of all abilities.”
Temple
believes that the greater emphasis on vocational qualifications will create
increased choice for students to follow a path that suits their abilities and
aspirations.
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The
EEF called on the Government to ensure these reforms are achieved by providing
adequate resources, specifically sufficient teaching materials and objective
careers advice, to schools to help them deliver these changes.
