We welcome the vision and the proposals set out today in Lord Sainsbury's Post-16 Skills Plan.
A strong, respected and high-quality skills system which meets the needs of both learners and employers is an economic and social imperative and unfortunately the current system does not always deliver.
The Post-16 Skills plan sets out the need for clear, coherent vocational pathways leading to a consistently-delivered, industry-tested, high-quality qualification. Too often there is no real guidance for learners making some of the most important decisions of their lives- What to study? Where to do so? What type of learning works best for them? Many learners are left confused and without a clear pathway that works best for them, so we are encouraged that this plan sets out the importance of informed choice between two equally valid routes.
We also welcome the mandate for providers and employers to collaborate on standards. These industry led standards, with professionals advising on the knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to excel in a chose occupation, mean that learners will finish their qualifications ready to work, ready to be productive immediately. Where this type of collaboration is already occurring the benefits for the employers and the learners are vast and obvious. The potential economic impact of a workforce ready to work from the moment of finishing a qualification is immense both to the country and to the individual.
We welcome a number of important proposals in the plan such as raising the standard of qualification, ensuring this system doesn’t leave anyone behind, and the bridging provision for those moving between the academic and technical pathways.
We would like to see these proposals developed further and implemented coherently and encourage the engagement of the FE sector as well as employers in the coming development of an implementation plan. The report details the ways the current skills structure is not meeting the country’s needs, it gives a distinct vision of how we can achieve a more productive, more inclusive system and we are encouraged by the boldness in vision. We now urge that the proposals in this plan are collaboratively developed, with the input of providers and employers, into a clear, rational and achievable implementation.