Mayors like the North East’s Kim McGuinness and Tees Valley’s Lord Ben Houchen will spearhead changes to the education system announced by Prime Minister Andy Burnham under which 14-year-olds will be able to get early access to technical education, skills training, work experience and connections with employers.
Whether they choose construction, coding or classics, students will get the skills they need and be given the respect they deserve, according to the Prime Minister, launching new prestigious technical educational routes aimed at tackling the issue of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETS). Mayor McGuiness told North East Bylines she welcomed the move.
Action now
The announcement was immediately backed up by a series of measures to help delivers 50,000 new youth apprenticeships: bursaries for young people worth up to £4,500 per year per household, thousands more college places, free apprenticeship training for all eligible under-25s from 1 August, up to £8,000 support for SMEs (small and medium companies) hiring young apprentices and NIC (national insurance contributions) relief for apprentices under 25.
The Department for Work and Pensions said: “The bursary targets the small number of Universal Credit families for whom the current system disincentivises apprenticeships. A Social Security Advisory Committee report found single parents with a disabled child could lose up to £340 per week in benefits when a young person started an apprenticeship, exceeding the expected apprenticeship salary of £258 per week. The bursary addresses this shortfall, so that this is no longer a barrier to a young person taking up an apprenticeship.
“The bursary, funded through the £1bn additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy announced in May, will help stop young people from turning down the chance to earn and learn due to cost.”
No dead ends
The Prime Minister is determined to put technical education on an equal footing with the traditional academic path and to ensure there are ‘no dead ends’ for young people coming out of the education system, said the government. This meant providing high-quality technical education routes that were valued and respected by students, parents and employers.
From age 14 (Year 10), students will have the chance to combine core academic subjects – including English, maths and science – with a high-quality technical education that’s linked to the jobs available in their area. They will be able to spend time with employers and gain real-world experience.
Building on local initiatives, such as the MBacc in Greater Manchester, the new technical routes will mean young people can develop the technical knowledge and skills needed to progress in areas like engineering, healthcare and digital technology, skilling them up with the specific knowledge and capabilities that local employers need.
Mayors and local leaders
Regional mayors, local leaders, schools, colleges and employers will work together to shape the new technical education pathways, which can be tailored around local industries and growth sectors, added the government. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all system designed in Whitehall, the approach will allow areas to shape education around the industries that matter and are growing in their communities. That could include advanced manufacturing, AI, digital and technology, clean energy, life sciences, construction, health and care, or the creative industries, depending on local strengths and where the jobs of the future are being created.
To support this, the government said it would prioritise funding towards high-quality technical education and practical routes into work. It will also change the way school performance is measured. Inspectors will recognise the schools that provide high-quality technical education and support young people to develop the skills, experience and confidence employers want.
Together, added the government, these changes would give schools clear incentives and strong support to expand high-quality technical pathways, rather than treating technical education as an optional add-on or a less valued alternative to academic study. This would also ensure that the new technical pathways were properly recognised alongside academic achievement, so young people had real choice over their future.
Whether young people chose university, an apprenticeship, further education or direct entry into a skilled profession, they would now be able to see a clear route from education into employment, gaining the knowledge, skills and experience they needed to secure the good jobs and opportunities in their area.
Wider devolution
The changes, said the government, would be part of its wider programme of devolution – giving local leaders greater influence over education for 14 to 16-year-olds. It will now work with mayors, local leaders, schools, colleges and employers to develop the new technical education pathways ahead of an ambition to begin rolling them out from September 2028. The changes just announced were only the first step in the Prime Minister’s plans to tackle the youth unemployment crisis.
Burnham statement
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “For too long in this country, students have been told that you must take the academic path to do well and to be respected. The whole school system has been built around it and that has let down young people seeking technical qualifications.
“I want an education system based on parity between academic and technical which gives all young people a clear path in life. From [now on], Britain will value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap.
“In a fundamental change to the education system, we will introduce new technical education pathways from 14 – prestigious routes that will give students the chance to combine the core academic subjects with the skills, technical knowledge and experience they need to get quality, well-paid jobs where they live…
“Fixing the youth unemployment crisis in Britain will require a major shake-up in how we do things – and that’s what this government will do. I want to ensure that our education system leaves no dead ends for our young people. The changes we’re announcing…will just be the start of our work to restore opportunity and hope across the country.”
Pat McFadden statement
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden said: “Every young person deserves the chance to build a future they can be proud of, and our welfare system should be a springboard to opportunity, not a barrier to it. By providing bursaries to those who need them most and fully funding apprenticeship training, we are making sure cost is not the reason someone misses out. Coupled with up to £8,000 in financial support for employers, this is a serious investment in the next generation and in the future of our economy.
Kim McGuinness statement
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness told North East Bylines : “Parents and young people across the North East know our one-size fits all education system does not work well enough for those whose interests and talents go beyond traditional academic subjects. I support the Prime Minister’s commitment to give the North East more powers to design a system that provides more of our young people with access to relevant technical education and skills and makes more of the very strong links we have forged here with local employers. This is welcome news which will better prepare our next generation of coders, engineers and construction workers for exciting careers in growth sectors like green industries and AI.
“We now need to see government back up this commitment with devolved funding so we can ensure that schools and colleges have the capacity they need to expand the delivery of technical qualifications alongside existing academic ones.”
The Milburn Report
The issue of NEETs was identified in an interim report in May by former cabinet minister Alan Milburn. There are around 40,000 young people aged 16-24 in the North East, including Tees Valley, not in employment, education or training.
The issue of NEETs was identified in an interim report in May by former cabinet minister Alan Milburn. There are around 40,000 young people aged 16-24 in the North East, including Tees Valley, not in employment, education or training. The report warned that Britain is at risk of a “lost generation”, with over a million 16 to 24-year-olds now not in education, employment or training.
Milburn’s findings painted a stark picture of a system that too often leaves young people leaving school without the skills, experience or connections they need to step into the world of work, said the government. Many young people were struggling to make the transition into employment, with growing evidence that qualifications alone were no longer enough to secure a good job. If a young person loses contact with work at the start of their adult life, the consequences could last for decades with lower earnings, fewer opportunities, worse health and a greater risk of long-term dependence on the state.
The Prime Minister believes the best way to bring down the welfare bill is to stop people becoming disconnected from work in the first place, said the government, which was why it was intervening earlier to strengthen links between schools and employers and to create clear routes into employment.
*This report is based on press releases from the Prime Minister’s Office and the Department for Work and Pensions.
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