7/24/2008 6:59:00 AM
The Guardian 23 July
Schools and colleges would encourage thousands more young people into "practical" occupations under a Tory government, David Cameron said today.The leader of the opposition said it was often being left to chance as to whether young people found out about apprenticeships at local or national firms.He promised £180m to fund a careers adviser in every secondary school and college in the country. He also pledged £100m for a new "all-age" careers advice centre.Cameron vowed to create 100,000 more apprenticeships and to give small and medium businesses in England £2,000 for each apprentice they trained. Speaking at the launch of his party's "training and apprenticeship revolution", he said the plans would "cut down the cost of social failure and bring down taxes".He said: "Getting skills right is about strengthening society and strengthening the economy."He said the number of young people not in education, employment or training had risen by a quarter under Labour.Shadow skills minister, John Hayes, said: "If we want to give everyone a chance, then we must get serious about practical learning. Britain has neglected this and is behind other countries such as Germany. We need to re-value skills and crafts. We must elevate practical learning."If we put a high quality careers adviser into every school or college they will encourage more young people to go for a practical route."Guardian
DEMAND FROM EMPLOYERS BOOSTS NVQS
The Guardian 23 July
The number of vocation qualifications awarded in the UK last year rose by over 8%, according to a new study.Healthcare, retail, business, construction and engineering are the top subject areas for people taking the qualifications.The review by education foundation Edge found the growth in people taking vocational qualifications was because of "significant demand" from employers for qualifications that give people the skills they need for work.According to Edge's research, 3.25m vocational qualifications were awarded in 2007, a rise of 8.3% on the previous year and 117% on the numbers five years ago.It found the number of schools awarding vocational qualifications had doubled in the last year, although colleges, private training companies and employers remain the largest providers of practical courses.Success rates for vocational qualifications have also risen, with passes at further education colleges rising to 78% in 2007.For those taking higher education vocational qualifications in colleges the success rate was over 77% – about the same as for higher education overall.The success rate for apprenticeships is 63%.Over half of all NVQ/SVQ awards are achieved by people aged 25 and over, and a quarter by people over 40.Andy Powell, the chief executive of Edge, said: "At long last we can now see a full picture of the many different paths to success available and the sheer numbers achieving vocational qualifications. "This review also highlights the very real benefits that vocational qualifications offer to young people, adults and the economy – providing people with the skills so desperately needed by employers."In the future, the publication of this review will enable the public to judge the numbers of people gaining such vital qualifications and assess the quality of the courses on offer year on year."Guardian
General | FE/HE/ Skills
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