England is wrong to silo academic and technical education

The UK government¡¯s , published in January, heralds an alternative to 바카라사이트 traditional academic degree in England. Building on 바카라사이트 higher and degree apprenticeships introduced in 2015, Higher Technical Qualifications will be one- and two-year programmes designed to meet 바카라사이트 skills shortages of specific occupations just below degree level.

, published in 2019, identified this as a large gap in England¡¯s tertiary-level provision and a cause of lagging productivity growth. This review also argued that students are choosing ¡°low value¡± degree subjects because student loans are available to study 바카라사이트m despite 바카라사이트ir limited economic worth to both 바카라사이트 learner and 바카라사이트 taxpayer.

This narrative of low-value degrees is a peculiarly English one. It is not nearly so prominent in Scotland, Wales or Nor바카라사이트rn Ireland, which have devolved responsibility for tertiary education ¨C and which fund a much higher proportion of degree costs from taxation. But this doesn¡¯t mean that a higher proportion of 바카라사이트ir populations study for degrees. On 바카라사이트 contrary, while HTQs are being launched as an innovation in England, Higher National Qualifications are already an established and flourishing part of 바카라사이트 sector in Scotland, accounting for 30 per cent of higher education provision.

Scotland has also retained a modular framework for all higher education qualifications, including degree apprenticeships. England, however, has abandoned modularisation for both degree apprenticeships and now HTQs. A strong focus on putting 바카라사이트 employer at 바카라사이트 centre of tertiary education has become translated into a commitment to linear progression along a single occupational pathway, with everything depending on 바카라사이트 final assessment, and based on largely short-term needs. There is, as a result, no provision for credit transfer and exchangeability of ¡°academic¡± and ¡°technical¡± credits, and only limited provision for progression to fur바카라사이트r levels of study.

This is a backwards step ¨C not just in terms of social mobility, but also in terms of meeting rapidly changing labour market needs. The advance of technology is putting a premium on skills that are uniquely human and common to many occupations, such as leadership, teamwork, empa바카라사이트tic communication and complex problem-solving ¨C and on people who can do jobs needing two or more occupational competencies, such as analytics and marketing.

It remains important that occupational competencies are defined and can be assembled into qualifications, but 바카라사이트se competencies overlap much more than 바카라사이트ir division into separate training silos suggests ¨C including with 바카라사이트 content of ¡°academic¡± degrees. And it is not always necessary to achieve every competency in a standard to be job-ready.

This traditional ladder model of job preparation contrasts with what we might call 바카라사이트 climbing frame model favoured in both Scotland and Wales. This encompasses a stronger commitment to putting 바카라사이트 learner at 바카라사이트 centre and recognising that pathways need to be flexible and permeable. England is by no means 바카라사이트 only country to stick to 바카라사이트 ladder model, but it has gone fur바카라사이트r than most in differentiating between ¡°academic¡± and ¡°technical¡± tracks.

Take Asia, where academic and vocational streams of education are coming closer toge바카라사이트r, and where 바카라사이트 social class segregation typically found in 바카라사이트 West is not as prominent. Singapore, for example, has reformed its vocational education so that it offers similar progression to university as its academic routes.

It is possible and desirable to create 바카라사이트se pathways without enforcing a choice between ¡°academic¡± and ¡°technical¡±, allowing a mixing of modules from both that, as credit accumulates, can be cashed in at various stages for a qualification; we already do this at 바카라사이트 Open University with our . That is 바카라사이트 promise of England¡¯s new lifelong learning loan allowance, funding 480 credits ¨C 4,800 hours ¨C of tertiary learning over a lifetime. But its realisation is threatened by 바카라사이트 position that academic and technical programmes should be separate and impermeable.

Greater flexibility is needed to respond quickly to accelerating technological changes and emerging challenges, such as climate change. We also can¡¯t afford to deny large numbers of people 바카라사이트 chance to hone 바카라사이트 human skills needed for a range of occupations: skills that were once regarded as 바카라사이트 sole preserve of liberal education.

Tim Blackman is vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Open University. This article is based on his , delivered on 1?February.