Edge’s Another Way Forward media campaign challenged parents to stop thinking of academic education as the only route to success.
Why did we need Another Way Forward?
Because Edge research found that one in five young people think
they have been led down the wrong educational path, with almost
half of these being misdirected by their own parents. Many parents
are influenced by ingrained prejudices against vocational
qualifications - 35% believe that vocational learning is just for
people who don't do well at school.
Campaigning for change
The campaign sought to tackle this prejudice head-on, with a
website and adverts in national newspapers and on TV. The TV ad dramatised the way that well-meaning
parents can lead their children in the wrong educational direction,
showing a father giving his son a driving lesson and directing him
the wrong way through heavy traffic.
The whole picture
The campaign challenged parents to stop thinking of academic
qualifications as the only route to success, encouraging them to
reassess their own views, and to discuss all the education and
career options with their children.