Data published last week just reaffirms longer term changes in the nature of apprenticeships – particularly who does them and at what level. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships/2024-25 It’s a mistake to see apprenticeships as an alternative pathway for 16- and 17-year-olds not continuing on the academic track, the original intention for their reintroduction at the start of the … Continue reading Apprenticeships are not helping the young
Skills White Paper. Good bye to 16-17 year old NEETs ?
Many people, it seems, even some practitioners and activists, don’t seem to be aware that the law requires all young people in England to continue in education or training until their 18th birthday. Enforcing this legislation (part of the 2008 Education Act) has been difficult - the most recent ONS statistics show 75,000 16–17-year-olds categorised as … Continue reading Skills White Paper. Good bye to 16-17 year old NEETs ?
Skills White Paper. Another new vocational qualification to hit schools and colleges soon?
The government’s post-16 education and skills White Paper has finally been published, but it was a pre-released announcement about the introduction of another new vocational qualification that made headlines. The announcement that the government will be consulting over new V (Vocational Level) awards has sent alarm bells through the post-16 sector, not least because it’s … Continue reading Skills White Paper. Another new vocational qualification to hit schools and colleges soon?
The grads and the NEETs
An article in the FT last week puts recent concerns about increased graduate unemployment in a wider context, https://on.ft.com/3VYJ3sk (though you might find this paywall protected) According to the FT, in the US, unemployment among recent college graduates is up 1.3 percentage points from its mid-2022 low. Concerns about the current economic climate and the … Continue reading The grads and the NEETs
“Nothing less than the abolition of long- term youth unemployment”!
We don’t have much in the way of detail for Rachel Reeves Labour conference commitment of “nothing less than the abolition of long- term youth unemployment”. But based on what was announced it’s going to be nothing like that. According to Reeves, every young person who has been out of work or education for 18 … Continue reading “Nothing less than the abolition of long- term youth unemployment”!
‘Skills’ goes to McFadden
As part of his reshuffle, prime minister Keir Starmer has moved responsibility for ‘skills’ from the Department for Education to the Department for Work and Pensions. Pat McFadden, formerly of the Cabinet Office, has moved jobs, replacing the struggling Liz Kendall at the DWP - although it’s reported a new ‘growth department’ is going to … Continue reading ‘Skills’ goes to McFadden
A-level results. ‘When they were up they were up…..’
A-level results day has arrived again with the extensive media footage of happy and sometimes not so happy, young people opening their envelopes. Understandably, students still like to attend their schools and colleges with friends and their teachers, rather than relying on direct emails from awarding bodies. Perhaps less understandable is why thousands of tech-savvy … Continue reading A-level results. ‘When they were up they were up…..’
Labouring under Labour
Well before being elected, Labour set out intentions to increase labour market participation. At the centre of its policies, was achieving an 80% participation rate for 18–66-year-olds over a ten-year period, way above the current 75% - though this includes part-time working. ‘Rebuilding’ Britain’s labour force has been the main brief of the Department for … Continue reading Labouring under Labour
Votes at 16. Extending citizenship or gesture politics?
Most progressives will consider the extension of the franchise to 16- & 17-year-olds a step forward. According to Keir Starmer it’s ‘because they are old enough to go out to work, they are old enough to pay taxes’. It’s considered the most significant change since 18-year-olds were given the vote in 1989. 16-year-olds are already … Continue reading Votes at 16. Extending citizenship or gesture politics?
Who needs college anymore?
Review: Who Needs College Anymore? Imagining a Future Where Degrees Won’t Matter Kathleen Delaski, Harvard Education Press. Post-16 Educator No 120 https://post16educator.org.uk/ Kathleen Delaski’s provocative book has received considerable attention in the US. Her basic argument is that the ‘college for all’ post-high school model of US education doesn’t serve the needs of the majority, … Continue reading Who needs college anymore?
What price a graduate?
It’s a difficult time to be a graduate. Thousands of debt laden young people leave university this summer, aware that it’s increasingly difficult to find employment commensurate with their qualifications - surveys report over a hundred applicants for each vacancy and employers turning to AI bots to sift through candidates. Previous comment on this blog … Continue reading What price a graduate?
The State we’re in
Labour’s planned increases in everyday spending - £190 billion over the remainder of the parliament, announced in last week’s ‘spending review’ - are firefighting measures, being nowhere near enough to rebuild public services after ’14 wasted years’. Labour’s increases are also dependent on the economy continuing to expand and generate additional taxation revenue. With a … Continue reading The State we’re in
To build up the military, there’s always the NEETs!
Under pressure from Trump and NATO, the government has announced plans to increase defence spending to 3.5% of GDP over the next decade. This would mean earmarking more than £10 billion extra every year. While department ministers battle with the Chancellor over their allocation, next week’s Spending Review will see big rises in the budget … Continue reading To build up the military, there’s always the NEETs!
A ‘landmark programme’ for NEETs and apprentices or just smoke and mirrors?
The government has launched what’s described as a ‘landmark programme’ to get young people into the workforce. At the end of last week, it announced its ‘Youth Guarantee’ scheme that will match young people to job or training opportunities and will provide all-important foundations for the national roll-out of the programme, ensuring all 18- to … Continue reading A ‘landmark programme’ for NEETs and apprentices or just smoke and mirrors?
Labour’s new immigration polices
Labour’s new policy stance on immigration has inevitably led to allegations of racism by its critics, but also from many of its own supporters. It’s difficult to refute these claims or deny it's a capitulation to Reform. Though Labour tread carefully on this issue, it’s also the case that post-Brexit, large numbers of the (legal) … Continue reading Labour’s new immigration polices
Reeves ups the ante on the ‘doing nothing’ NEETs
I posted previously about Labour’s plans for young people who were NEET. https://education-economy-society.com/2024/03/08/labour-comes-after-the-neets/ Previously, the push to get ‘economically inactive’ young people into the labour force was inextricably linked to Labour’s ‘dash for growth’ agenda. Now, nine months into a Labour government, there's a different context. International uncertainties are making even Labour’s limited intentions … Continue reading Reeves ups the ante on the ‘doing nothing’ NEETs
Education, the Bank and the bond markets
Labour’s economic problems are compounded by the neo-liberal model it has enslaved itself to. Without the economic growth the government is praying for, there isn’t enough taxation revenue to cover even its limited public spending intentions. 'Unforeseen' events continue to undermine the ‘headroom’ it has to manoeuvre, without resorting to the tax increases or spending … Continue reading Education, the Bank and the bond markets
Making Further Education fit for the Future?
The Parliamentary Education Committee has set up an enquiry - Making Further Education fit for the Future? https://committees.parliament.uk/call-for-evidence/3576/ Any enquiry into this forgotten sector is to be welcome, but its title is rather a misnomer - it isn’t really a enquiry about FE at all. As its subtitle and the initial terms of reference for … Continue reading Making Further Education fit for the Future?
Young people and support for Reform.
Although Generation Z (all those born in the late 1990s to 2010) is known for its diverse and evolving political views, generally it’s seen as more liberal compared to older generations. Tending to back progressive causes (particularly action on climate change) it is considered to lean left. It’s dependency on social media (the ‘zoomers’) and … Continue reading Young people and support for Reform.
Review the National Curriculum, but also young people and work.
Despite its limited terms of reference, the National Curriculum Review should get rid of the worst aspects of Michael Gove’s 2010 ‘reforms’ – making the curriculum broader, less Eurocentric and more inclusive. At least an element of Creative Arts is likely to be restored, along with greater access to sport and vocational subjects. Given the … Continue reading Review the National Curriculum, but also young people and work.
Young people, BTECs, T-levels and ‘working on the buildings’
Labour has always supported T-levels as alternatives to academic qualifications, but in pre-election press releases it also committed to a ‘pause and review’ of Tory plans to defund over 140 qualifications which were considered to overlap with the Ts. This including many established BTECs and other National level 3 options. Cuts scheduled for the end … Continue reading Young people, BTECs, T-levels and ‘working on the buildings’
The White Paper, immigration, automation.
In press releases leading up to the recent White Paper Getting Britain Working, Labour frontbenchers argued that the high levels of economic inactivity, particularly the increased number of NEETs, prevents the UK economy from growing. The question is whether the various support measures outlined in the WP are likely to backed up by more detailed … Continue reading The White Paper, immigration, automation.
Labour’s White Paper – just a damp squib?
This week has seen the publication of a Labour White Paper Getting Britain Working, though as Shadow spokesperson and in the run up to the election, Liz Kendall had already set out her intentions to challenge ‘worklessness’. Though the UK has relatively low rates of unemployment, at least in historical terms, it has lower rates … Continue reading Labour’s White Paper – just a damp squib?
Goodbye to the Institute of Apprenticeships… Hello to Skills England
The new Labour government is abolishing the Institute of Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) – rather it will be subsumed into a new body called Skills England. Created in 2017 to revamp the UKs ailing apprenticeship system, its remit was widened to include responsibility for the new T-level qualifications, to be delivered as full-time courses, … Continue reading Goodbye to the Institute of Apprenticeships… Hello to Skills England
Does the Reeves budget take things forward?
Make no mistake, there are some progressive intentions behind this week’s budget, as the Starmer government sets out to address the UK economy’s miserable performance since the financial crash, the rapid decline of public services and disintegrating infrastructure. Labour plans a £70 billion increase in public spending, with over £20 billion for the NHS, just … Continue reading Does the Reeves budget take things forward?
More than one in seven young people are NEET.
Despite fears that slower wage growth might mean the labour market is ‘cooling’, latest statistics suggest otherwise, with a general participation rate of 75% and unemployment only just above 4%. However, ‘economic inactivity’ – those not working but not looking for work – still sits at over 20%, reflecting what commentators have termed a ‘great … Continue reading More than one in seven young people are NEET.
Gordon Brown won’t save the T-levels.
Within a few days of Labour coming to office, Gordon Brown has intervened in the debate about T-levels. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/jul/16/gordon-brown-calls-on-ministers-not-to-scrap-t-level-vocational-qualification This site has continued to document the issues that surround the Ts (see the categories menu below right). T-levels originate from a 2016 report from Lord Sainsbury and a subsequent White Paper. Since then, they have … Continue reading Gordon Brown won’t save the T-levels.
Labour and the private schools
Labour’s election manifesto contained few promises for education. Probably most eye-catching has been its plan to impose VAT on private school fees in England (and to remove the exemption from business rates). Schools don't have to pass these increases onto parents and pupils with special needs statements will be exempt. The traditional image of the … Continue reading Labour and the private schools
No money for education?
Keir Starmer’s Labour will be campaigning on the economy this week. It will continue to remind us about how the Tories abysmal economic record has bankrupted the country, quickly pointing the finger at Liz Truss, but also Sunak and Hunt’s incompetence (though saying almost nothing about the damage done by Brexit). As a result Labour … Continue reading No money for education?
Starmer promises to extend the franchise: but will young people vote at all?
Because they know that only an (ever decreasing) minority will vote for them, the Tories have never tried to seriously engage with young voters. The Tories have published two major policy initiatives, a reintroduced National Service and a plan to replace ‘Micky Mouse’ degrees with more apprenticeships. But these have been aimed at their ageing … Continue reading Starmer promises to extend the franchise: but will young people vote at all?
‘End Micky Mouse degrees. Create 100,000 apprenticeships instead’ (Sunak’s latest election gimmick)
As far back as 2015, in the wake of Tony Blair and New Labour’s push to make university attendance the norm for school leavers, David Cameron’s promised 300,000 more apprenticeships as an alternative . The Tories have been rattling on about this ever since, without much idea of what it really means. Let alone how … Continue reading ‘End Micky Mouse degrees. Create 100,000 apprenticeships instead’ (Sunak’s latest election gimmick)
No repeat of ‘education, education, education’ under a Starmer government
There’ll be no repeat of Tony Blair’s ‘education, education, education’ by a Starmer government. For Blair and Gordon Brown ‘education’ became a key economic policy. Getting ‘qualified’ would, it was argued, sharpen people’s ability to take advantage of opportunities in the new global economy, whereas those who didn’t would be left behind. In other words, … Continue reading No repeat of ‘education, education, education’ under a Starmer government
Labour comes after the NEETs
Kendall: 'no option of a life on benefits' According to the shadow work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall, under a Labour government there would be “no option of a life on benefits”. Labour’s is targeting the NEETs, (young people Not in Education, Employment or Training’). Figures announced at the end of February show the percentage … Continue reading Labour comes after the NEETs
Young people and wellbeing : does education damage your health?
Despite the economy being in ‘technical’ recession (though this is increasingly expected to be ‘mild’) the labour market continues to boom. With the jobless rate at under 4%, some Tories are pointing to ‘full-employment’ – a term used to describe the prosperous years of the post-war period. Indeed, labour shortages have pushed up wage levels … Continue reading Young people and wellbeing : does education damage your health?
The post-war educational project comes off the rails (version 2 and policy critique)
Rab Butler - instigator? 2024 marks the eightieth anniversary of the momentous 1944 Butler Act, considered a triumph for progressive reform. Though times may have changed, post-war assumptions about education remain. First, that for economic growth to continue and to keep pace with other countries, there is a need for greater levels of ‘human capital’ … Continue reading The post-war educational project comes off the rails (version 2 and policy critique)
Eighty years on, the post-war education project has come off the rails.
2024 is just around the corner. It will mark the eightieth anniversary of the momentous 1944 Butler Act, considered a ‘triumph for progressive reform’. Yet, even though times have changed, in many respects education continues to operate around the social and economic assumptions growing out of the post-war reconstruction. 'One Nation Tory' Rab Butler First … Continue reading Eighty years on, the post-war education project has come off the rails.
‘Work or we’ll cut your benefits’ Hunt seeks to rebuild the ‘reserve army’.
'Work or we'll cut your benefits' Compared to many others, the UK economy is labour intensive and low-skill. In recent years the limited amount of growth that has been achieved has come by adding to the labour force, rather than increasing productivity through investment in technology. Hunt’s Autumn Statement will do little to change this. … Continue reading ‘Work or we’ll cut your benefits’ Hunt seeks to rebuild the ‘reserve army’.
Dave might be back…. but what’s happened to his apprenticeship promises?
As the sitting Prime Minister, David Cameron put a promise to create another 3 million high quality apprenticeships for young people at the centre of his 2015 election campaign. Yet apprenticeships have provided few alternatives to continuing to higher education for young people – key to Cameron’s intentions. In fact apprenticeship starts had already peaked … Continue reading Dave might be back…. but what’s happened to his apprenticeship promises?
The Department for Education gives a thumbs down to AI.
While prime minister Sunak was snuggling up to the tech giants in a pretence about AI security, the Department for Education had already published bland guidelines about some of the implications for education. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/generative-artificial-intelligence-in-education While accepting that AI is an important tool: Generative AI tools are good at quickly: analysing, structuring, and writing text turning … Continue reading The Department for Education gives a thumbs down to AI.
Education spending if Labour wins next time.
‘Education, education, education’ was a priority for the previous Labour government. Under Blair, spending neared record levels. Reaching almost £120 billion by 2010 - up from £70 billion in 1997, education spending constituted 5.4% of GDP, its highest since the mid-1970s. The ‘austerity’ programme imposed by the Tories lead to a sharp decline. Expressed as … Continue reading Education spending if Labour wins next time.
A step forward or a step Bacc? Sunak’s proposals for abolishing A-levels
At first glance, the proposals in A World-Class Education System. The Advanced British (distinctly English!) Standard, (ABS) being presented to Parliament next week, represent a complete turnaround in government plans for post-16 education – from separate academic and vocational ‘pathways’ to a new baccalaureate-style qualification, which according to Secretary of State Gillian Keegan will draw … Continue reading A step forward or a step Bacc? Sunak’s proposals for abolishing A-levels
The return of the NEET
. This month’s labour market statistics show the employment rate at 75.5%, a fall of half a percentage point on the previous quarter. Unemployment has also risen by over half a percentage point to 4.3% - up from 3.7% a year ago, though rates of economic inactivity (the number of people not working, but not … Continue reading The return of the NEET
Results day. How low can it get?
Not so long ago, ‘results day’ in England would see leading figures in education, from Tory ministers to National Union of Teachers General Secretaries line up to unequivocally congratulate young people on their achievements and celebrate rising standards. But with education increasingly like running up a downwards escalator, where you have to run faster simply … Continue reading Results day. How low can it get?
T-levels struggle on
If next month’s A-level results will be subject to detailed scrutiny – in particular for indications that grade distribution is now ‘back to normal’ after Covid; results for the second cohort of T-level students will also be published. Last year, the first cohort, just over a thousand (1,029) students, received results in the three subject … Continue reading T-levels struggle on
‘Rip off’ universities and ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees – the latest stage in education’s ‘Great Reversal’?
Rishi Sunak’s provocative remarks about ‘rip off’ universities and ‘Micky Mouse’ degrees are merely the latest stage in Tory attempts to limit the number of students attending HE. There have been a series of initiatives, in particular the 2019 Augar report which sought to leaver more young people into job-related courses in FE; the 2021 … Continue reading ‘Rip off’ universities and ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees – the latest stage in education’s ‘Great Reversal’?
Education, qualifications and skills. A critique.
Post-16 Educator Issue 112 A comment on issues raised by Dave Ridley in the current and previous edition of http://post16educator.org.uk/ Does gaining educational qualifications really improve performance and productivity in the workplace? For crude versions of what has become known as human capital theory (HCT) this is indisputable: for the economy as a whole, increasing levels … Continue reading Education, qualifications and skills. A critique.
Skill deficits or labour shortages?
As the UKs economic difficulties persist, there’s a continued focus on skill shortages. Most discussions ignore issues of job quality, yet it’s evident that labour supply issues are more visible in jobs deemed ‘low skilled’ with lower wages and poor employment conditions. In otherwords, rather than productivity and increased output being held back by skill … Continue reading Skill deficits or labour shortages?
Chinese youth: racing after qualifications, or ‘lying flat’?
Chinese graduates face an increasingly difficult jobs market. Churning out 12 million of them every year, China’s economy is suffering from a mismatch between the jobs available and the qualifications of jobseekers. Between 2018 and 2021 the number of graduates increased by more than 20%. In response, Chinese authorities have announced subsidies for companies that … Continue reading Chinese youth: racing after qualifications, or ‘lying flat’?
What did happen to ‘Core Skills’?
The think tank Demos has launched a major attack on the inadequacies of the current school curriculum and how it is failing many young people seeking employment. https://demos.co.uk/research/the-employability-badge-skills-for-life-work-and-a-stronger-society/ Demos reports that transferable skills are now more valuable to employers - skills like leadership, teamwork, problem solving and emotional resilience for example. It argues that schools … Continue reading What did happen to ‘Core Skills’?
Education, Economy and Society 