Education is incredibly cyclical, as those who have been in it for some time will attest. But what have we learned from its history? In particular, what have we learned about vocational education? In each iterative stage, we have asked more from employers. More apprenticeships, more placements, more industry engagement and more involvement in curriculum design. Yet comparatively little is said about how we make that involvement practical and worthwhile for the businesses we depend upon.

In the beginning…

The first formally recognised apprenticeship in England was through the Statute of Artificers in 1563. Dwell on that for a moment. In more modern times, organisations like the City & Guilds have championed vocational education for over 150 years and established much of the qualifications we take for granted today across vocational areas. The talk about delivering vocational education in schools is reminiscent of the Junior Technical Schools which were established following the Education Act of 1902. These early pioneers successfully introduced a pathway into trades through schools for 12 to 14-year-olds, only to be ultimately thwarted by affordability. 

That was over 120 years ago.

Talking about improving vocational skills is then clearly not a new thing. Ever since, history has blighted us with attempts to reform and relaunch vocational education and improve its perception among the British public. We have seen many attempts at reform, and the latest announcements of further change planned for 2028 seemingly prove an exponential acceleration – while still riding the unproven coattails of T Levels and Technical qualifications. The multiple political shifts that have provided us with machinists, electricians, chefs and mechanics over the last 60 years are, unsurprisingly at least to this author, undergoing reform once again.

I’m a sparky by trade, ay I? *

But there is a shift that we are witnessing. Whether this focus is good or bad only history will arbitrate, but all of a sudden practical trades are receiving positive press. National media are beginning to pivot and say, “perhaps there’s something in having a trade after all?”. It may be that the astonishingly rapid proliferation of AI has started to refocus the population’s mind. AI, for many, is scary, not least because it has recently been highlighted as a potential extinction-level threat, but people are rightly wary of its impact in the long term. Taking away the dramatics, however, it still represents an existential challenge. In many instances it is likely to affect livelihoods, but again, from a cyclical perspective, we’ve been here before. From a vocational perspective, the Industrial Revolution and the rise of robotics are two examples of periods where livelihoods have been threatened and forced to readjust.

This time, though, the threat posed by AI feels more focused on white-collar roles rather than practically orientated occupations such as plastering, carpentry and hairdressing. We have experienced instances of students arriving with high GCSE grades, yet insisting on taking a practical programme at Level 2 despite having the opportunity to pursue A Levels or T Levels. This is pretty much unprecedented on full-time programmes and generally rare on construction-based apprenticeships in my experience.

The employer conundrum

So, how do we take advantage of this new focus on vocational and technical skills?

Colleges are starting to receive a clear mandate, and there is some excellent work taking place through the TECs. We have curriculum reform planned once again, along with discussions around a 14 to 16 vocational GCSE model and talk of a return to UTC-style education.

But while colleges act as the fulcrum, they cannot be the sole solution to meeting demand. Employers will be critical if this is to work, and we know they are currently bombarded with requests for support from every direction, all while struggling to survive in challenging financial times themselves. Schools, colleges, parents and training providers are all looking for work placements where their keen cohorts of students can gain experience and become work-ready, but there often feels like there is a chasm between education and industry. The danger is that education regards employer engagement as a resource with unlimited capacity. It isn’t. Recent initiatives mean that a small employer recruiting a young apprentice may be eligible for as much as £6,000 of government support, receive funded training and benefit from National Insurance savings, so it is not as though policymakers are not trying. But it is still not enough to help the vast majority of employers – the SMEs.

What could government do differently?

Feedback from employers frequently suggests that the government could do more by revisiting the frankly ridiculous bureaucracy surrounding apprenticeship recruitment, which puts many employers off engaging in the process altogether. It needs to be easy, efficient, straightforward and responsive. At the moment, it is anything but.

The government could also consider reducing the minimum wage requirements for young apprentices. Many employers tell us that, for “not much more”, they could employ an experienced labourer who requires no training and is already able to generate valuable income for the business. There may be many young people not thanking me for that comment, but back in 1989 apprentices often earned around a fifth of what a qualified person would earn. Now, in some circumstances, that figure can be closer to half. There is an unrealistic expectation that young apprentices can contribute meaningfully to an organisation immediately, whereas in truth, it can be many months before they learn the skills necessary to really contribute. Realistically, it can be a year or more before they really start to benefit an employer. The question should not simply be what wage an apprentice receives, but what the employer invests before that apprentice becomes fully productive.

Where next?

We can only ask so much of employers, particularly in trying times. Where they can support we are extremely grateful and will help wherever we can to ensure the experience is fluid. It is a challenge though, and we realise that at times, they are being bombarded with multiple requests which don’t help the agenda.

We will absorb the new curriculum reforms as we always do. We are experienced enough now to ride, or at least adapt to the changes and still create opportunities for young people and adults looking to upskill and meet the demands of industry. What is refreshing this time though, is that vocational and technical education appears to be receiving genuine recognition as a valuable destination in its own right, rather than simply being viewed as an alternative to the traditional academic route. If that shift in perception continues, and if employers are given the confidence and support they need to engage, then perhaps this latest cycle of reform might leave a more lasting legacy than many of those that came before. Get that relationship right and this latest cycle of reform might achieve something lasting. Get it wrong and, if history teaches us anything, we’ll have the same conversation again back here in five years’ time.

By Dr Neil Sambrook, Assistant Principal – Quality and Standards at Dudley College

* Ask your friendly neighbourhood Black Country resident if unsure.