Path to Employment: Education for a 21st century workforce

Path to Employment: Education for a 21st century workforce

Panel:

Baroness Margaret Sharp of Guildford (IfL Patron)

Brian Lightman, General Secretary Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL)

Mark Dawe, Chief Executive Oxford Cambridge and RSA examinations (OCR)

Martin Doel, OBE Chief Executive Association of Colleges (AoC)

Warwick Mansell, freelance education journalist (chairman)

The discussion focused around what a curriculum for the 21st Century should look like, the purpose for education in 21st Century and what we mean by achievement and success.

Baroness Sharp (IfL Patron) spoke about how high levels of learning and skills matter for people to get jobs and to progress through education routes, stressing the need to encourage people to aim high and find career paths. She noted that although more people than ever are attending British Universities the UK is actually falling down league tables, she saw this being impacted by the skills we need to fill the jobs we have i.e. technician skills, apprenticeships, gaining level 2 and 3 skills. Baroness Sharp raised concerns about the Ebac, suggesting that a debate should be had about it saying “I find it very odd that we are emphasising the vocational route but then creating a solely academic system. It seems like a throw back to the 1930s”. She commented that it was sad that Sir Michael John Tomlinson CBE’s Working Group for 14-19 Reform which recommended some widespread improvements in education focusing on a mixing and matching according to preferences between academic and vocational paths had not been implemented. She talked about a climbing frame for learning where a learner and move across and up by different routes. Baroness Sharp closed by saying that "We need to encourage pupils to elect vocational courses alongside academic subjects so they have a well balanced education."

Brian Lightman spoke about the importance of academic and employability skills being part of the curriculum and the need to develop interpersonal and emotional intelligence skills. He called for a broad debate on education.

Mark Dawe spoke about programmes, pathways and progression. He said the focus should be on career directions for over 18-year-olds and that vocational and academic routes are needed. He said that government should set the policy but allow the education professionals to work out the solution.

Martin Doel OBE said that the system should motivate learners that learn in different ways. He added that the government need to focus on changing the way apprenticeships are viewed to enable those learners who complete an apprenticeship progress into HE. He suggested that currently 50% per cent of apprentices claimed that they would like to go onto HE but only four per cent would, he believes this is because of the universities views towards apprenticeships.