Posts
 |
| Photo: Tami McCrone |
The Learning and Skills Research Network (LSRN) workshop held last week on the future of technical and professional education was as current, relevant and thought-provoking as ever.
The discussion made a very worthwhile contribution to joining up the dots and it was stimulating and certainly tackled some of the challenges surrounding technical and professional education such as data, curriculum, pedagogy and qualifications, and institutional and structural issues.
Speakers included Ann-Marie Bathmaker (University of Birmingham), Richard Boniface (RCU Ltd), Ewart Keep (Oxford University), Kevin Orr University of Huddersfield), and David Corke (Association of Colleges).
I look forward to the summary of the discussions.
There is much current commentary on the subject of technical and professional education such as the recent article in FE Week that starts by claiming:
The first skills white paper in a
decade will bring an end to mixed provision and make 16-year-olds choose
between academic courses leading to university or a new technical
professional education (TPE) route into work, FE Week can exclusively
reveal.
And, of course, in addition to the forthcoming white paper, we all await the output from the independent expert panel headed up by former Minister of Science and Innovation Lord Sainsbury, which is made up of experts from industry and further and higher education and whose delayed report on technical and professional education is expected later this year.
So where to now for young people – of all abilities – who do not want to do A Levels and do not want to study academic subjects at university? Will they and their parents instantly take up these new technical and professional routes?
One thing I know with certainty (because there is plenty of underpinning evidence) is that if we want our young people to make sound decisions that lead them to employment that they want to get out of bed to do every morning, they need to be informed about the world of work and all available routes to employment. They need to understand themselves better, their strengths and weaknesses, how to make decisions, and they need to be able to discuss their options with adults who understand all the current routes into employment. And they need to meet employers.
Who remembers the 14–19 Diplomas? The findings from the NFER national evaluation of the implementation and delivery of Diplomas still makes good reading now. The Diplomas offered 14 distinct vocational routes to 14-year-olds as an alternative to academic routes. As the following key finding illustrates, it is a complex business introducing new routes and qualifications:
The evaluation found that the
information advice and guidance (IAG) provided to learners could be
improved to ensure that they understand the [Diploma] programme and are
equipped to make an informed decision about their choices. There was
evidence that staff knowledge of the Diploma and their ability to
provide information to learners was inadequate. There was a lack of
consistency across institutions with regard to IAG.
Learners appeared generally satisfied
with their Diploma course. However, there was some evidence to suggest
that it had not always met expectations, for example, the lower than
expected amount of practical activities and the higher than expected
level of challenge of the functional skills examinations.
Read more...
Additional resources
Reforming careers advice and guidance in England
Thursday 8 September 2016, Westminster Employment Forum, Central London.
Senior Research Manager Tami McCrone will be speaking on a panel on options for schools to improve the quality of their careers provision at this seminar.
For more information on the seminar and to book your place Source: The NFER Blog
