Teenagers will be encouraged to study new “Tech Levels” at school and college as part of a Government drive to eradicate Mickey Mouse qualifications, it was announced today.
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| New Tech-Level qualifications will be introduced to drive up standards of practical education. |
Top-quality practical courses will be banded together under the title for the first time after being formally endorsed by companies and trade organizations, it emerged.
Ministers said Tech Levels would be the only qualifications to count in league tables for 16- to 19-year-olds to stop teachers pushing pupils onto substandard courses to boost their positions in official rankings.
Ministers said Tech Levels would be the only qualifications to count in league tables for 16- to 19-year-olds to stop teachers pushing pupils onto substandard courses to boost their positions in official rankings.
It is believed that the reforms – to be introduced from 2014 – will lead to around 4,000 of the current 5,000 vocational qualifications being scrapped from tables.
Courses likely to be cut out include a qualification in “improving own learning and performance” and one in “personal development for progression”. A certificate in “higher sports leadership” is also likely to be discounted, alongside courses in “cutting facial hair”, “lash extensions” and one in the “principles of animal management within a pet store”.
Matthew Hancock, the Skills Minister, said: “Tech Levels will recognize rigorous and responsive technical education.
“High-quality rigorous vocational education is essential to future prosperity, and the life chances of millions."
As part of the reforms, exam boards will be required to seek official endorsements from five companies to ensure qualifications that lead to recognized occupations – such as engineering, IT, accounting or hospitality – are registered as Tech Levels.
Courses must be able to lead directly to a job, apprenticeship or further study and be equal in size to an A-level.
In a further move, ministers will accredit more general vocational qualifications – those providing broader study – as “Applied General Qualifications”. These will need the explicit backing of three universities and will be equal to half an A-level.
The reforms will be introduced from 2014, with qualifications being added to new league tables from 2016.
Mr Hancock added: “Because technical education is so important, it is vital the qualifications young people take are stretching, high-quality and support their aspirations.
“So for the first time we will ensure that exam boards list the employers or universities which support their courses. Only these stretching, strong courses will count in league tables.”
The move is the latest in a series of changes to vocational qualifications.
Ministers have already unveiled plans for a new “Technical Baccalaureate” – a school performance measure that mark out pupils who gain a high-quality vocational qualification alongside good levels of literacy and numeracy.
Labor has already unveiled similar plans.
Commenting on the latest proposals, Tristram Hunt, the Shadow Minister for Young People, said: “After three years of the Government downgrading vocational education, there are almost a million young people unemployed.
“It's no surprise that David Cameron and Michael Gove are now desperately playing catch up while Labour sets the agenda on skills.”
As part of the reforms, exam boards will be required to seek official endorsements from five companies to ensure qualifications that lead to recognized occupations – such as engineering, IT, accounting or hospitality – are registered as Tech Levels.
Courses must be able to lead directly to a job, apprenticeship or further study and be equal in size to an A-level.
In a further move, ministers will accredit more general vocational qualifications – those providing broader study – as “Applied General Qualifications”. These will need the explicit backing of three universities and will be equal to half an A-level.
The reforms will be introduced from 2014, with qualifications being added to new league tables from 2016.
Mr Hancock added: “Because technical education is so important, it is vital the qualifications young people take are stretching, high-quality and support their aspirations.
“So for the first time we will ensure that exam boards list the employers or universities which support their courses. Only these stretching, strong courses will count in league tables.”
The move is the latest in a series of changes to vocational qualifications.
Ministers have already unveiled plans for a new “Technical Baccalaureate” – a school performance measure that mark out pupils who gain a high-quality vocational qualification alongside good levels of literacy and numeracy.
Labor has already unveiled similar plans.
Commenting on the latest proposals, Tristram Hunt, the Shadow Minister for Young People, said: “After three years of the Government downgrading vocational education, there are almost a million young people unemployed.
“It's no surprise that David Cameron and Michael Gove are now desperately playing catch up while Labour sets the agenda on skills.”
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