Following the governments proposed exam restructure to core subjects, independent education organisations have started to offer alternative schemes to support “learning by doing” in a bid to protect vocational learning as a valued part of education. Leading Student tracking provider Perspective still believes encouraging learning through vocational courses will mean the country has the correctly skilled workers to meet demand. Replacing the current GCSE method, exams in England are proposed to shortly reformat to the new English Baccalaureate Certificate template. At present, these changes are subject to consultation, with the reform expected to be instigated in schools and colleges from 2015. In a bid to ensure learning institutions provide education which develops practical skills in light of the government’s exam reform, education charity Edge has presented its Six Steps for Change policy document which details the importance of integrating vocational qualities into the new education template.
The Six Steps for Change document outlines the combination of academic and hands-on subjects for 14- to 18-year-olds studies. The steps call for recognition of the multiple routes to success, value to be upheld for practical learning of skill sets and a variety of vocational courses to be widely available comprising FE and HE recognised qualifications. The hope for these policy steps is that the government, practitioners and the public will incorporate them into their education and training systems as a vital reminder of the importance of vocational learning.
Concerns that apprenticeship and vocational skill sets were being undervalued in the government’s proposal, Lord Baker, chairman for Edge stated: “It’s vital that schools and colleges provide education which develops practical skills and personal qualities as well as subject knowledge” Lord Baker continued: “Exams have to be capable of recognising all these [teamwork, solving problems and communicating with other people] talents.”
Paul Davis, managing director of learning management provider Perspective commented: “With the proposed exam reform announced by the government, it is imperative that vocational and apprenticeship courses remain a priority. With Edge stepping forward to offer its new policy document to coincide with the planned English Baccalaureate Certificate, it is a sure sign of recognition and understanding that skills being taught in schools and colleges should be applicable to work and adult life.”
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Perspective is apioneering education and apprenticeship software company that was one of the first in the UK to embrace the Systems Interoperability Framework (SIF), an integrative technology that helps different platforms to communicate and share information without the need for additional programming or data entry. To discover more about this facet of Perspective’s operations visit www.perspective-uk.com.