Education Secretary Lucy Powell has announced a new range of vocational GCSEs designed to put technical and academic education on an equal footing, giving every young person the skills and experience to thrive in a changing world.
Writing for The Mirror, Powell said young people are her priority, both as Education Secretary and as a mum, adding that their futures depend on what the Labour government does. She described the announcement as part of a broader effort to ensure every child has the opportunity to secure good jobs.
Ending years of neglect
Powell argued that technical and vocational education has been neglected for too long. Existing qualifications have no nationally set content, often are not as respected, and have not received the same attention to quality, curriculum and professional development as academic counterparts. She said this is not good enough and pledged to extend high standards and excellence to all subjects, just as has been done in English, maths and science.
She stressed that behind every debate on standards, curriculum and funding is a real child in a real classroom with real ambition.
Inspiring school visit
Powell said she saw that first-hand this week during a visit to Broughton High, which she described as both validating and inspiring. In an engineering class, year 10 students were building a cantilever digger, honing their maths skills, using their hands, problem-solving, working as a team, communicating and overcoming challenges.
She said the atmosphere was buzzing, with students loving what they were learning. They are going to leave school with the skills and experience to thrive in further study and eventually great careers, she added.
Nationwide rollout
Powell said it is right to upgrade qualifications to support experiences like this, so more young people can leave school with respected and valued qualifications that close the gap between the classroom and the workplace. She noted that none of these students felt their work was second-rate compared to peers who made more traditional subject choices, with many aiming for apprenticeships at nearby BAE, wanting to be aerospace engineers, pilots and other roles.
The Education Secretary said she is bringing this in nationwide so children everywhere can pursue practical and technical subjects alongside academic study, giving them a clearer line of sight into work and the great jobs of the future. She said she has heard about how needed it is from schools, employers, parents and children, and has seen it can be done in schools across the country.
