Half of vocational course students drop out

Colleges
are reporting record drop-out rates, as only half of students on vocational
training courses complete their qualifications.

The
failure levels in higher education are revealed by the new ‘success rate’, a
measure introduced by the Learning and Skills Council to measure students’
progress.

The
success rate shows how many students complete their courses, and how many
qualify at the end. Only 43 per cent of those studying National Vocational
Qualifications (NVQ) completed and passed their courses in England last year.

Patricia
O’Brian, author of the report, said low level entry qualifications and a lack
of motivation were most likely to cause students to drop out.

She
blamed the Government’s plans to get 50 per cent of students into higher
education for forcing down entry qualifications.

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Vocational
training was a central driver in July’s Government White Paper, 21st Century
Skills – Realising Our Potential, which claims such training is essential to
bridge the UK’s skills gap.

By Michael Millar