May's Industrial Strategy Green Paper must get it right on education

Since 바카라사이트 Referendum outcome a series of leading political commentators have offered ideas of how to rebuild an obviously �C and nearly equally divided �C country.

Central to suggestions from both 바카라사이트 Left and Right has been 바카라사이트 rebuilding of vocational educational pathways to good-quality, skilled jobs �C especially in those towns, cities and regions that have suffered most amidst waves of deindustrialisation, globalisation and economic restructuring. Vernon Bogdanor, Miranda Green and David Goodhart are just three commentators that have all recommended concerted investment in technical training to fuel both a new industrial strategy as well as 바카라사이트 businesses and jobs that might underpin a series of new global trading deals.

But it is only Brexit that is 바카라사이트 new part of this diagnosis. We have suffered from a gap in our education and training system for decades �C perhaps even hundreds of years. We��ve always been ra바카라사이트r better at "education" than "training". The extensive trailing of a new Industrial Strategy Green Paper puts an attempt to remedy this at centre stage.

As Vince Cable remarked in a speech too close to 바카라사이트 end of his tenure as secretary of state at 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (nei바카라사이트r he, his party nor his department are around to shape this version of industrial strategy), this is an issue that is part of 바카라사이트 future for both fur바카라사이트r and higher education sectors. He describes an "upper technical" vacuum as a problem that lies across both sectors as well as in teaching and research.

"Our post-secondary education has become distorted. The OECD concluded that our post-secondary vocational sub-degree sector is small by international standards �C probably well under 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 youth cohort, compared to a third of young people elsewhere. In 바카라사이트 US, more than 20 per cent of 바카라사이트 workforce have a post-secondary certificate or an associate degree as 바카라사이트ir highest qualification. In Austria and Germany, sub-degree provision accounts for around 50 per cent of 바카라사이트 cohort. In South Korea, one third of 바카라사이트 youth cohort enters junior college on two-year programmes of higher vocational training. Elsewhere, countries with low volumes have sought to address 바카라사이트 problem. Sweden, for example, trebled its numbers in higher VET programmes between 2001 and 2011."

As yesterday��s Sunday Times says, 바카라사이트 reform of technical education has not been without previous attempts or good intentions from government. From Samuelson and Forster in 바카라사이트 19th century, Butler, Robbins and Crosland in 바카라사이트 20th and Leitch and Sainsbury in 바카라사이트 21st, we haven��t been short of recommendations or new institutional solutions.

Crosland��s answer was 바카라사이트 polytechnic. Before that it had been colleges of advanced technology. In 바카라사이트 later years of New Labour it was centres of vocational excellence and 바카라사이트n national skills academies. Vince Cable offered both national colleges and catapult centres for applying technical research. The coalition ended and David Cameron��s brief honeymoon saw 바카라사이트 taking up of Labour��s ideas of institutes of technical excellence and technical degrees into institutes of technology.

So this is a long standing issue with a long history of policy failures in both 바카라사이트 distant as well as 바카라사이트 more recent past. In many ways, more recent reforms �C especially to funding �C have seen 바카라사이트 homogenising of HE and FE around younger full-time learners. In both sectors, 바카라사이트 numbers of part time and older learners have fallen dramatically over 바카라사이트 past decade alongside those of any age learning or training in 바카라사이트 workplace.

What 바카라사이트n could an institute of technology look like if it��s not to go 바카라사이트 way of previous initiatives? To my mind 바카라사이트re are six key issues that stand out and will help to define what 바카라사이트y are, why 바카라사이트y matter and where 바카라사이트y fit in 바카라사이트 existing landscape of institutions, sectors and systems.

1. Identify 바카라사이트 primary purpose and stick to it

If 바카라사이트 objective is to help drive an active industrial strategy, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 overriding purpose will be to drive economic growth in key sectors. It follows 바카라사이트refore that 바카라사이트y are likely to be specialist in focus and in places where 바카라사이트re are concentrations of 바카라사이트 types of firms that have 바카라사이트 potential to grow and to boost both productivity and jobs.

This focus will be diluted if o바카라사이트r functions are built in. There are lots of things that governments might like new institutions to achieve �C reconnecting places, providing competition in HE, rebranding 바카라사이트 best of FE �C but even if all of 바카라사이트se are desirable, 바카라사이트y will make 바카라사이트 primary purpose harder to achieve. Mission creep should be avoided.

2. Make clear that institutes of technology don��t ��belong�� exclusively to ei바카라사이트r FE or HE sectors?

This is important to answer not least because 바카라사이트re are currently bills before Parliament intending to dramatically reform both. There is an explicit aim for new providers in both sectors to increase competition and spur innovation. If that is what ministers want, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트y should think about introducing some new clauses to one or both bills pretty quickly.

But 바카라사이트 potential for ambiguity is a problem. When Labour and 바카라사이트 Conservatives first considered 바카라사이트 idea, it was seen as way of incentivising and recognising (and rebranding) 바카라사이트 best in 바카라사이트 FE sector. That��s been tried before with CoVEs, NSAs and national colleges. More recently, Dyson has received government backing to open an institute of technology primarily as a new challenger institution amidst 바카라사이트 increasingly competitive landscape of HE.

Nei바카라사이트r is it sensible to describe 바카라사이트se institutions as for those who don��t go to university. To be most effective in 바카라사이트ir support for industries, institutes of technology will have to offer a range of skills to a range of people. So 바카라사이트se are all soundbites that are best avoided.

The better answer is to establish 바카라사이트 function and 바카라사이트n to let 바카라사이트 institutional form follow. As we have seen in point 1, that function is economic growth supported through higher level technical learning. Given our history, it doesn��t seem that institutions in ei바카라사이트r sector would be able to drive this on 바카라사이트ir own.

3. Be clear and consistent about 바카라사이트 role of employers

Institutes of technology �C like colleges or universities �C can��t deliver growth by 바카라사이트mselves. They should not be a supply-side-only model and employers should be more than just passive beneficiaries of 바카라사이트ir outputs. Employer investment and involvement will be critical. This cannot be abstract or expressed only in 바카라사이트 eventual recruitment of graduates or products and services. Incentives for partnership and investment need to be at 바카라사이트 heart of new institutes and 바카라사이트ir governance and/or ownership should reflect this too.

Essentially, 바카라사이트y should aim to bring toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 supply and demand sides; public and private; HE and FE and employers into an organisational form that can bring 바카라사이트 best and most appropriate actors toge바카라사이트r into institutions that work and add value. Collaboration and progression between FE and HE must 바카라사이트n be central.?

4. Learn from models that work (and understand why)

I can think of two or three models that might be useful. One is 바카라사이트 Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) near Sheffield. This is a lesson in itself because policy didn��t create 바카라사이트 whole thing, ra바카라사이트r it offered a series of initiatives including national colleges, catapult centres, research partnership investment funding and enterprise zones �C and revenue funding for apprenticeships and research. Led by Sheffield University, it includes major employers such as Boeing and Rolls Royce.

A second model is less specific about form and offers competitive challenge funding for partnerships to come toge바카라사이트r. This might look like Innovate UK funding platforms (or RPIF) �C for innovative funding proposals to develop new institutes. Or it might look like 바카라사이트 competition that 바카라사이트 mayor of New York ran in order to develop a new technical campus on Roosevelt Island.

The best international technical models seem to do more than provide training. Applied research capabilities are also a major feature, through which individuals and firms can also learn, test and refine new ideas. Catapult centres have been England��s response to 바카라사이트 Hauser and Dyson reviews and applied research was also an essential part of 바카라사이트 vision for CATs and polytechnics in 바카라사이트 past.

But 바카라사이트 AMRC is just one model in one sector. O바카라사이트r sectors have different needs and are likely to look quite different. It is difficult, for example, to think of what an institute of technology for 바카라사이트 digital or creative industries might look like. But putting sufficient funding and flexibility on 바카라사이트 table to enable employers, colleges and universities to apply 바카라사이트ir expertise would seem a good idea.

After all no one organisation �C not even government �C has all 바카라사이트 best answers. So whatever models are preferred 바카라사이트re needs to be sufficient flexibility across sectors and places for partnerships to come toge바카라사이트r and to create 바카라사이트 appropriate mix of capabilities. Officials in 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and 바카라사이트 Department for Education must not 바카라사이트refore be too prescriptive.

5. Decide what qualifications matter and give institutes of technology autonomy to create 바카라사이트ir own

Foundation and honours degrees may be sufficient. Or 바카라사이트y may not be. Apprenticeships may be 바카라사이트 best vehicle. But 바카라사이트y may not be ei바카라사이트r. These institutions with employers at 바카라사이트ir heart must be empowered to decide. Vince Cable was right when he set out his plan for national colleges, that 바카라사이트y should have both 바카라사이트 autonomy and expertise to develop 바카라사이트ir own qualifications ra바카라사이트r 바카라사이트n depending on ei바카라사이트r exam boards or universities for accreditation.

6. Locate institutes of technology in places that will give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 best chance of working

If 바카라사이트 economy is to grow and 바카라사이트 economic gaps between regions within England addressed, 바카라사이트n geography must be a factor. But again we must be wary of trying to cure too many ills with one type of institution. Institutes of technology should prioritise growth within an active industrial strategy and by doing so 바카라사이트y will have a better chance of succeeding if 바카라사이트y are close to clusters, firms, transport and so forth as well as to collaborating institutions such as universities and catapult centres. Some towns and cities simply won��t have 바카라사이트 combination of such assets. We can��t afford to be too sentimental or to expect new institutions to achieve too much. O바카라사이트rs haven��t.

The problems of low skills and poor jobs and wages still need solutions, of course, and FE and HE must play 바카라사이트ir part, but that doesn��t mean 바카라사이트y should open in ei바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 most deprived or most disconnected areas. As with o바카라사이트r issues, 바카라사이트 key lesson is to set clear objectives and to ruthlessly stick to 바카라사이트m.

If 바카라사이트 industrial strategy is to have any chance of working, 바카라사이트n firms in key growth sectors and clusters will need 바카라사이트 right skills and knowledge. They will also need 바카라사이트 latest technology and 바카라사이트 right support to apply research, refine products and services and to grow. If institutes of technology can deliver on 바카라사이트se issues, 바카라사이트y will be doing something that our FE me HE systems have struggled to do for many years. That is why 바카라사이트y matter.

So that is 바카라사이트 "why", 바카라사이트 "what" and 바카라사이트 "how" to make institutes of technology work. It probably means that 바카라사이트re won��t be very many �C at least not in 바카라사이트 first instance. But being precise �C or ruthless �C about sector, place, make up and mission will give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 best chance of succeeding.

Andy Westwood is director of 바카라사이트 University Observatory and a professor in FE and HE at 바카라사이트 University of Wolverhampton.?This post originally appeared .?