Commenting on the proposals relating to education and apprenticeships set out in today’s speech by Andy Burnham MP, Jude Hillary, Co-Head of Policy and Practice at NFER, said:
“Apprenticeships, work-based learning, and high-quality technical education have a vital role to play in improving opportunities for young people and supporting employers’ skills needs.
“This is particularly important given the scale of the challenge facing some young people, with almost a million 16–24-year-olds currently not in education, employment, or training. Ensuring there are clear, high-quality pathways into good career opportunities is essential.
“It was encouraging to hear Mr Burnham speak so purposefully about these issues. However, achieving this requires sustained investment, strong partnerships between education providers and employers, and a cultural shift towards a genuine and meaningful parity of esteem between technical and vocational routes and academic pathways.”