Edge welcomes the interim report of the Skills Taskforce set up by Labour and chaired by Prof Chris Husbands of the Institute of Education

22nd May 2013

Edge submitted evidence to the Skills Taskforce in April, and the interim report reflects many of the points we made.

In particular, the Taskforce is very critical of what they call "the damaging divide" between vocational and academic education. As they rightly say, we need to stop putting learning into two different silos - instead, we need young people to have access to the best of both.

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Post-16 qualifications and performance measures: Edge response to government consultation

13th May 2013

Edge believes we should establish an over-arching school graduation certificate for all young people, based on credits achieved over the four years from Year 10 (age 14) to Year 13 (age 18).

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House of Commons' News

  • Barry Sheerman MP led a debate in Westminster Hall on how to tackle youth unemployment, and provide good quality careers advice and guidance as the participation age for those in education, employment or training is soon to increase.
    See Hansard report
  • MPs debated Government plans to introduce English Baccalaureate Certificates on the floor of the House of Commons yesterday
    See Hansard link
  • Apprenticeships, vocational education and UTCs all featured strongly during Education questions on the floor of the House of Commons yesterday.
    See Hansard link
  • Andrew Lansley, Leader of the House of Commons has said the proposed UTC in Cambridge will mean young people acquire training in skills that will support the life sciences industry. He was responding to a question from Anne Marie Morris MP, who is campaigning for a UTC in her constituency.
    See Hansard link
  • Gordon Birtwistle MP has a Bill before Parliament requiring schools, together with local businesses and others, to provide a comprehensive careers advice service to 12 to 16 year olds.
    See Hansard link
  • The impact of VQ Day has been acknowledged in a written answer to MPs this morning.
    See Hansard link
  • Read what the Prime Minister said in response to a question about funding a further round of UTC bids when asked at Prime Minister's Questions.
    See Hansard link
  • An Early Day Motion (EDM) in support of Vocational Qualifications Day has been tabled. The EDM is no 1944 and is sponsored by Robert Halfon MP.
    See EDM
  • John Hayes, the Skills Minister, replying to a written question about VQ day, said ‘he was delighted’ that the Government was giving strong support to the celebrations.
    See Hansard link to read the full answer.

House of Lords' News

  • Baroness Sharp of Guildford quoted Edge research before telling the House of Lords that 'many schools are not providing decent advice about the range of options open to young people' and asking Lord Nash 'how can careers advice, which is supposed to be independent, be given by schools when the teachers know nothing at all about these options?'
    See Hansard link
  • A Government Minister, Lord Hill, told Peers that it was important to make sure “vocational and academic qualifications have equal esteem, are held in equal regard and have equal funding.” He was responding to a question from Baroness Jones of Whitchurch on the steps being taken by Ministers to raise the status and quality of vocational education.
    See Hansard link
  • Lord Marland, the Government’s Business and Skills Minister in the House of Lords has said, “UTCS are an incredibly exciting new endeavour”, adding their focus particularly on skills from the engineering and mechanical training point of view had “not been done for many years.”
    See Hansard link
  • Speaking in a recent debate on the Development of Excellence in Education, Lord Baker highlighted the contribution of University Technical Colleges in bridging the skills gap in engineering and technicians.
    See Hansard link
  • In a written Parliamentary Answer, Baroness Wilcox set out how the Government is helping small and medium sized companies recruit apprentices.
    See Hansard link
  • Baroness Hughes of Stretford has asked the Government why their guidance to schools on implementing the new duty to provide careers advice has not required schools to employ qualified advisers and provide face-to-face advice for pupils who need it.
    Read Hansard Report
  • In a written answer, Baroness Wilcox , the junior business, innovation and skills minister in the House of Lords, said that the government ‘are keen to see apprenticeships offer a route into, and where appropriate an alternative to, higher education.’
    Read Hansard Report
  • The House of Lords yesterday (Tuesday, November 29th, 2011) debated youth unemployment and the importance of attracting more young people into apprenticeship programmes.
    Read Hansard Report