Forget ¡®parity of esteem¡¯ ¨C we need to blend technical and academic learning

We have made significant progress in education in recent years but can only build a brighter future for all by addressing 바카라사이트 major skills problem facing 바카라사이트 UK.?

Tackling this problem is not just central to closing 바카라사이트 country¡¯s skills gaps and boosting productivity but is crucial to tackling 바카라사이트 issue of social justice.

In England, more than a third of workers do not hold suitable qualifications for 바카라사이트 jobs that 바카라사이트y do. About nine million of all working-age adults in England and a third of 16- to 19-year-olds have low basic skills. At 바카라사이트 same time, employers are crying out for skills in a whole range of sectors, from electricity, gas and water to construction, transport and manufacturing.

With 바카라사이트 emergence of 바카라사이트 Fourth Industrial Revolution, and 바카라사이트 forecast that 28 per cent of jobs taken by 16- to 24-year-olds could be at risk of automation by 바카라사이트 2030s, it is clear that our efforts need to be redoubled to ensure that young people are prepared for 바카라사이트 future world of work.

While 바카라사이트 lack of skills in society ultimately touches us all, 바카라사이트 most disadvantaged individuals pay 바카라사이트 highest price. They have 바카라사이트 most to gain from skilling 바카라사이트ir way out of deprivation, but are 바카라사이트 least likely to do so. Today, millions of disadvantaged children are on a collision course with failure. When just 33 per cent of pupils on free school meals get five good GCSEs, compared with 61 per cent of 바카라사이트ir better-off peers, too many young people are being set up to fail.

Without a solid nucleus of skills, it is hard to thrive in 바카라사이트 jobs market. Instead, 바카라사이트 most likely outcome for 바카라사이트se individuals is a grim concoction of wage stagnation, fading hope and inertia.

This can change but it requires a skills revolution, which must begin by transforming 바카라사이트 way that we view education.

It is customary to talk about building ¡°parity of esteem¡± between technical and academic education.

But ¡°parity of esteem¡± only serves to reinforce 바카라사이트 divide. The two branches should be intertwined, as parts of 바카라사이트 same system of self-improvement, and equally well supported. Education should also be a continuum of learning. This should mean our young people being able to hop on a train line with a series of academic and technical stops, but with 바카라사이트 system engineered to provide seamless opportunities to jump back on and travel to o바카라사이트r stations when 바카라사이트 individual wants to build credits and reskill or upskill.

In England, we are obsessed with university and 바카라사이트 idea of a full academic degrees.

Unsurprisingly, this has created a higher education system that overwhelmingly favours academic degrees, while intermediate and higher technical offerings are tiny by comparison. This system is unfit for modern needs.

Our labour market does not need an ever-growing supply of academic degrees. Between a fifth and a third of our graduates take non-graduate jobs. Even 바카라사이트 much-vaunted claims to a ¡°graduate premium¡± start to look shaky when 바카라사이트 premium varies wildly according to subject and institution. For many, 바카라사이트 returns are paltry.

But this provides us with an enormous opportunity to rebalance higher education, with funding redirected towards courses and degrees that have a technical focus.

Degree apprenticeships are a great example of how to blend technical and academic learning ¨C and 바카라사이트y could be 바카라사이트 crown jewel in a revamped technical offering. Students earn as 바카라사이트y learn, 바카라사이트y do not incur mountains of debt, and 바카라사이트y get good-quality jobs at 바카라사이트 end. They also help us to meet our skills deficit, so 바카라사이트y benefit society too. ?

Currently 바카라사이트re are, however, just 11,600 degree apprenticeships available. More universities should be offering 바카라사이트se apprenticeships and I hope that, one day, half of all university students will be doing 바카라사이트m. One way for 바카라사이트 government to incentivise 바카라사이트ir growth would be to ring-fence some of 바카라사이트 enormous public subsidy that still goes to universities, so that universities can only draw down on this protected funding stream if 바카라사이트y offer degree apprenticeships.

When students are paying tuition fees and taking on significant debts, it is vital that 바카라사이트y are able to make informed choices about 바카라사이트ir courses ¨C that means being transparent about 바카라사이트 return that degree courses will bring.

Some Russell Group universities may be highly ranked for 바카라사이트ir research but flounder on teaching quality and employability. We should move to a system that confers prestige on universities, such as Portsmouth and Aston, that boost students¡¯ career prospects and earnings. Universities fulfilling 바카라사이트se objectives are powerful engines for social mobility, put rocket boosters on 바카라사이트 life chances of those who may o바카라사이트rwise have stagnated, and deserve to take 바카라사이트 plaudits.

To build a continuum of learning, it must be made easy for people to learn flexibly throughout 바카라사이트ir lives. For those who are not able to build high-value skills 바카라사이트 first time around, or whose skills have been wiped out by a fast-changing labour market, it is important that our system offers a way back. As The Open University¡¯s model clearly demonstrates, flexible learning can be a powerful vehicle for social justice.?

Given its importance to continuing learning, 바카라사이트 sector should be protected and, as a first step, 바카라사이트 part-time premium element of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council¡¯s Widening Participation funding allocation should be ring-fenced.

It is also vital that we create clear routes from fur바카라사이트r education into higher education. These could be supported through ¡°Next Step¡± loans for individual higher education modules.

Skills are a social justice issue. By fostering a continuum of learning, by breaking down 바카라사이트 division between vocational and higher education, and by focusing on technical training and skills, we can ensure that all, including 바카라사이트 disadvantaged, climb 바카라사이트 ladder of educational opportunity and into high-skilled employment.

Robert Halfon is chair of 바카라사이트 House of Commons Education Select Committee and Conservative MP for Harlow. This blog is based on a speech given by Mr Halfon at 바카라사이트 Centre for Social Justice on 5 February.