The Independent Panel on Technical Education, chaired by David Sainsbury, was established by the Minister for Skills on behalf of the Secretaries of State for Education and for Business, Innovation and Skills in November 2015. It was tasked with advising ministers on actions to improve the quality of technical education in England and, in particular, to simplify the currently over-complex system and ensure the new system provides the skills most needed for the 21st century. The report concludes that the development of such a national system of qualifications, together with the introduction of
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The Independent Panel on Technical Education, chaired by David Sainsbury, was established by the Minister for Skills on behalf of the Secretaries of State for Education and for Business, Innovation and Skills in November 2015. It was tasked with advising ministers on actions to improve the quality of technical education in England and, in particular, to simplify the currently over-complex system and ensure the new system provides the skills most needed for the 21st century. The report concludes that the development of such a national system of qualifications, together with the introduction of the new apprenticeship levy, provides the opportunity to equip the UK with a high quality system of technical education whose costs are fairly shared among employers and the state. However, success will require industry to take ownership of the content and standards of technical education, and makes certain that companies adhere to them. It is also essential that the government makes certain that the educational infrastructure exists to provide a high quality system of technical education, including high-quality teaching and access to industry-standard facilities and equipment. Also important is the widespread availability of comprehensive career guidance.
The report documents the four key features of a labour market-orientated system of technical education, and what the government needs to do to put such a system in place: (1) while government has to design the overall system, industry experts must lay down the knowledge and skills, and methods of assessment, for each qualification; (2) the system should provide young people with clear educational routes which lead to employment in specific occupations, and must be sufficiently clear and simple that career advisers can easily explain to young people what options they have - currently there are 13,000 qualifications, many of them of little value, available to 16-18 year olds and this makes career guidance extremely difficult; (3) short, flexible bridging provisions should be developed to enable individuals who come to believe they have made the wrong decision to move between the academic and technical education options in either direction, and to support adults returning to study; and (4) individuals who are not ready to access a technical education route at age 16 (or older if their education has been delayed) should be offered a flexible transition year tailored to their prior attainment and aspirations.
Edited excerpts from publication.
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