157 Group welcomes vocational focus on GCSE results day
22nd August 2013
The 157 Group is heartened to see the vocational options available to young people after GCSE results day being highlighted in the national media. The Manchester College, a 157 Group member, featured in national coverage on ITV News, which was drawing attention to programmes for a wide range of learners.
Lynne Sedgmore CBE, executive director of the 157 Group, said, "We know that, in this country, the academic route through A-levels and to University has long been cherished by the great majority. But vocational programmes of the type offered by Further Education Colleges are often more suited to many young people, and they offer exactly the same opportunities for them to progress to further study, to Apprenticeships and to well-paid employment. In fact, employers often say that those who have undertaken vocational training post-16 are better prepared for the workplace and therefore able to progress more swiftly.
The fact that reporters on TV and in the national media have today been probing young people and their teachers about the decisions behind their chosen progression routes is a very promising sign. Vocational options are often poorly understood not just by young people themselves, but also by parents and teachers in school. Our national awareness has, perhaps, woken up to the fact that these high-quality routes, often through FE Colleges, are available to all."
Peter Roberts, chair of the 157 Group and chief executive of Leeds City College, said, "Politicians of all parties have, in recent years, been speaking of the need to raise the profile of vocational education. They acknowledge that enabling more young people to access the employment-focused provision offered by many FE Colleges is the true key to improving the skills levels of the future workforce. Media interest in this provision is very welcome indeed, and the 157 Group will be only too happy to share the work of its member Colleges with a wide audience, for the benefit of young people, employers and the country as a whole."
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