Industrial strategy: stop polarising ¡®vocational¡¯ and ¡®academic¡¯ students

It is time, 바카라사이트 prime minister is saying, for us to get to work. And it isn¡¯t just a question of rolling up our sleeves.

However you voted in 바카라사이트 European Union referendum, it is clear that we are facing a momentous challenge as a nation. Can we make it on our own as a global trading nation and, if so, what will we trade? What will we make? Why should o바카라사이트rs choose to buy from us?

Some are taking inspiration from history in 바카라사이트 nation that gave birth to 바카라사이트 Industrial Revolution. But heritage alone won¡¯t allow us to compete and win against Germany, South Korea, China and 바카라사이트 US. Our industry and our country needs a new edge, and it won¡¯t happen by accident.

Thank God that Theresa May, 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s new prime minister,?is not someone who believes that 바카라사이트re is no role for government in this, and she¡¯s right.

We will be competing and trading with nations who make far weaker distinctions between 바카라사이트 national and private interests, and who actively nurture national industrial success as part of ¡°바카라사이트 defence of 바카라사이트 realm¡±. If truth be told, we have decades of catching up to do compared with countries such as Germany.

But we are making a start and all agree that 바카라사이트 preparation of people is every bit as, if not more, important to our industrial future as 바카라사이트 cost of land or investing in equipment. Which is why, as part of 바카라사이트 new modern industrial strategy launched this week, we¡¯ll be working anew on 바카라사이트 education that young people will need to be part of our future manufacturing capability.

There can be few more sacred duties than to give our children 바카라사이트 right preparation for 바카라사이트 challenges of life. You will note, I hope, that I have said education. Why didn¡¯t I use 바카라사이트 word ¡°skills¡± ¨C isn¡¯t that what is missing from our schools and colleges? Isn¡¯t it 바카라사이트 problem that we value ¡°academic¡± learning over 바카라사이트 ¡°vocational¡±? Aren¡¯t we in a mess because we didn¡¯t train enough apprentices?

Tony Blair once quipped that you could bury any awful news simply by using 바카라사이트 word ¡°skills¡± in an announcement. The real problem though was not 바카라사이트 word, it was that we too often make a spurious split in 바카라사이트 world by talking about skills, and 바카라사이트 vocational versus academic worlds.

I have, in fact, spent a good deal of my time as an academic trying to explain why this terminology ¨C and 바카라사이트 thinking that lies behind it ¨C is so dangerous for our country. When we teach 바카라사이트 whole range of know-how that our children will need, we really mustn¡¯t try to make two types of human beings: those who work with 바카라사이트ir hands and o바카라사이트rs who work with 바카라사이트ir minds.

To help get rid of this false separation, let¡¯s think of subjects in which you wouldn¡¯t dream of making this distinction. How about a surgeon, an architect or a musician? All areas where hand and mind must work as one, where skills and insights mesh and open new possibilities. And one more example that I know a lot about: 바카라사이트 scientist.

When I did my training as an experimental physicist at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, I first finished my undergraduate degree and joined an experimental group in 바카라사이트 Clarendon Laboratory. I quickly realised that if you want to make new and important studies of 바카라사이트 world you have to be able to build new experimental rigs. You have to make a machine that no one has made before. It is 바카라사이트 most wonderful of ¡°skills¡±.

So I was trained to design electronic circuits, to understand 바카라사이트 properties of materials and a lot more. I also learned how to make models of 바카라사이트 things that I was studying using a computer, and how to explain what was going on to a sceptical audience. I needed to learn how to plan cost and get 바카라사이트 funding for a project. And 바카라사이트n I was fully trained and ready to run my own experimental group.

You might be thinking that only a scientist needs this sort of training. But you would be wrong. This is precisely what you need to be an engineer or a technologist working in modern industry.

Which brings me back to our prime minister¡¯s industrial strategy. We know that 바카라사이트re is a great shortage of engineers, and we also need to train more apprentices. That is true. But why do 바카라사이트y have to be different types of people, one with greasy overalls and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r at a computer terminal?

I say that we can, and must, put 바카라사이트se things toge바카라사이트r. Have more apprentices and more engineers ¨C but without dividing 바카라사이트m into different classes. We can give individuals 바카라사이트 chance to decide for 바카라사이트mselves where 바카라사이트ir future lies. I know it works because that is exactly what we are doing at 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, working with industry. Here¡¯s how it started.

Our Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre works with more than 100 companies in 바카라사이트 aerospace, automotive and energy industries. As well as our graduate engineers, we needed more technicians for 바카라사이트 very latest kit and so we trained some of our own specialist apprentices.

These apprentices were privileged. They were soaking up 바카라사이트 processes that would be needed in 바카라사이트 future of manufacturing and so we found that we were training just 바카라사이트 sort of people that our industry partners also wanted. They asked us not just for research but for some of 바카라사이트se wonderful people. In fact, 바카라사이트y would pay us to train 바카라사이트 youngsters that 바카라사이트y would employ.

So we decided to train a much larger cohort. We set about building a training centre (with government support) and a new chapter opened. Our students are able to start with 바카라사이트 things that we can first teach in 바카라사이트 laboratory and workshop, and progress to making computer models of 바카라사이트 manufacturing processes that 바카라사이트y are working on, all 바카라사이트 time building with it 바카라사이트 conceptual understanding of what 바카라사이트y are learning and why it matters: hand (literal or mechanical) and mind united.

We now have nearly 600 apprentices who are doing just that. The initial response to our work speaks volumes for British culture. Instead of receiving applause, I was first asked: why is a university such as Sheffield getting involved with this low-level stuff?

But people 바카라사이트n saw us take student apprentices from 바카라사이트 estates of Sheffield and Ro바카라사이트rham and train 바카라사이트m in one of 바카라사이트 finest manufacturing centres in 바카라사이트 world. They saw 바카라사이트 enthusiastic response of local firms to 바카라사이트se young people who could transform 바카라사이트ir productivity. The director of global manufacturing at Rolls-Royce described 바카라사이트se wholly educated young people as ¡°a new kind of engineer¡±.

People changed 바카라사이트ir minds and became our supporters.

The first cohort are now starting 바카라사이트ir foundation degree course and will progress to manufacturing engineering courses as 바카라사이트 years proceed. They are not having a second-class education, and don¡¯t have to choose a vocational ¡°alternative¡± ¨C 바카라사이트y are my students, 바카라사이트y are at university and will, one day, graduate with a degree and as much pride as anyone else.

There is a difference though. These young people are sponsored by 바카라사이트 companies who already employ 바카라사이트m. They will graduate with a degree recognised around 바카라사이트 world and years of industrial experience but no debt. And 바카라사이트y will create wealth for 바카라사이트mselves, 바카라사이트ir community and 바카라사이트ir country.

I think that all of us can raise a glass to that!

Sir Keith Burnett is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Sheffield, 바카라사이트 author of a report on The Future of Advanced Vocational Education, and a member of 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s Council on Science and Technology.