Young people in North East ‘let down’ by education system
The majority of young people who do not follow the traditional academic route into work are being let down by the education system, a Lords report has found
The majority of young people who do not follow the traditional academic route into work are being let down by the education system, a Lords report has found. The 53% of school leavers who opt not to got to university or do A-levels are often allowed to drift'' into their first job or further education with no real prospect of progression. The House of Lords Committee on Social Mobility said the national curriculum should finish at 14, allowing students time to focus on transitioning to a career before leaving school. The report, Improving the Transition from School to Work, said:
“The current system for young people who do not follow an academic route is complex and incoherent, with confusing incentives for young people and employers. “Careers advice and education are being delivered in a way which means that too many young people simply drift into further studies or their first job, which often has no real prospect of progression.” The report continued: “Transitions to work take longer for some young people, and this is not recognised in the current format of 16-18 or 16-19 education. “It would be better for the national curriculum to stop at age 14, rather than 16, and for a new 14-19 transition stage to be developed. “This would enable a tailor-made route to work to be developed. Such a route would combine a core element with either academic or vocational elements.” The committee also recommends that responsibility for careers advice should be moved away from schools and colleges and given to an independent careers advice and guidance service. The Government should establish a Cabinet-level minister to oversee the transition from school to work for young people, a responsibility which currently falls between a number of departments and ministers. Well some colleges in our region agree that better career advice at a younger age is a good idea, but disagree that young people are being let down by the current system.
Nadine Hudspeth, Director of Marketing and Communications at Gateshead College, said:
“Until we have more of a route and branch report to improving the way that we offer careers advice and guidance I don’t think that they would be ready at 14 to make those decisions. Have you really seen what kind of career opportunities are out there? Not many 14 year olds have.
“There already are some options for young people at 14 to follow a more vocational route. Maybe what we need to do is ensure more young people have the right information and their families and parents have the right information at the right time.”
Zoe Lewis, Principal Chief Exec at Middlesbrough College, said:
“The earlier you start in your vocational education and something that prepares you better for work then the better prepared you will be when you come to leave for work, whether that’s directly after school, after college or after university.
“We find certainly that where they know what they want to do, it helps them get to a higher level quicker and where they don’t know what they want to do, it helps to identify the options and narrow down their options as well which is equally important.”
Chair of the committee, Baroness Corston, said:
“The current system for helping people move from school to work is failing most young people. They are simply not being adequately prepared for the world of work. This significantly disadvantages a huge number of young people and limits their opportunity for social mobility. “A young person considering their options for further education or employment is presented with gobbledygook. It is totally unclear to them how they can get the skills needed for a successful career. It is also unclear to the people in their lives giving them advice and support in making these crucial decisions.”