1/31/2008 8:43:00 AM
Letter;The Times 31 January
Vocational training can be beneficial in many ways, but should not be confused with an apprenticeshipSir, It seems that John Hayes, MP, feels that accreditation at McDonald’s will not be recognised elsewhere (letter, Jan 29). On the previous day your article “McDonald’s A level” hints at a different view in countries such as Australia. In the UK McDonald’s reputation has suffered from the diet police trying to convert sugar, salt and fat into Class A drugs. These attitudes tend to obscure the contribution that McDonald’s has made to the lives of young people over the past 30 years. Most youngsters joining McDonald’s at age 16-18 learn a multitude of skills transferable to all jobs; opening a bank account, timekeeping, work ethic, elbow grease, dealing with tax forms, etc. For many young people this first foray into the world of work is more structured than many other jobs and has helped them to buy their first cars, minimise their student loan and, for those who put a little extra effort, to get on a training plan that gives them the opportunity to gain experience in managing other people at a very young age. Many people may not be aware of the work these people have done to get to that position of responsibility, often at the same time as gaining A levels or a degree.
David Bailey
Alcester, Warks
Sir, The difference between apprenticeships and vocational training is in danger of getting lost. Apprenticeships are the “bees’ knees” of vocational training. They work because they provide training that immerses the trainee in the workplace. In this way they can learn from experienced professionals, and supplement this with academic study within a college environment — for the construction industry in Scotland, a craft apprenticeship means a minimum standard of four years while in employment. Vocational training has a place but it will not solve the skills gap that exists in the construction sector and others. In recent years we have seen far too many short-term training initiatives that do not provide the individuals with the skills and training to pursue a lifelong career in the industry. These training initiatives have been funded by the public purse and in many cases give a false expectation to the participants. A new approach that prioritises quality skills training is crucial. Every youngster should be able to choose an apprenticeship in the same way that they can choose to go to university or college.
Michael Levack
Chief Executive of Scottish Building Federation and Employers’ Secretary of the Scottish Building Apprenticeships Training Council
MCTRAINING AND REAL EDUCATION
Letter; Guardian 31 JanuaryRowenna Davis (Mc A-levels will produce mere cogs in the machine) seems to suggest that while "corporations won't waste time asking the bigger questions" traditional institutions will. I am not so sanguine. It is over 20 years since philosophy of education disappeared from the curricula of teacher training institutions. The last thing the government wanted was teachers who think about why they want to do something as well as simply how to do it. It was replaced by curriculum studies - how to deliver what you are told to deliver. The Study War No More report from the Fellowship of Reconciliation and Campaign Against Arms Trade shows how universities are becoming beholden to arms companies. This resulted in the absurd situation where Lancaster University prosecuted its own students for being on campus to protest against a symposium sponsored by BAE Systems. In 1987 Frank Parkin wrote what was then regarded as a comic novel, set in a Britain where universities exist only to produce the research results that sponsoring companies required. Today it seems sadly prescient. Mc A-levels seem the obvious conclusion.
Denis Beaumont
Wombourne, Staffordshire
FE/HE/ Skills
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