Andy to introduce new technical pathways for GCSEs in 2028(!)

[noblegiraffe]

Or perhaps not GCSEs but some other sort of qualification which will apparently tie into local industry, for students going into Y8 in September.

"The “prestigious” new technical pathways, which will pair skills training with work experience and connections with local employers, are set to be rolled out from September 2028."

Is Andy Burnham actually mad? 2028? Does he realise that it actually takes time to develop qualifications (or 'skills training'), resource them (particularly technical ones which require more equipment than a maths lesson) and then find the teachers to actually teach them? And the local employers to do the work experience? One of the major problems with setting up T-levels was problems with finding work placements, and that's for age 16+.

I know he has the MBacc in Manchester (although this seems to be merely a label for a set of already existing qualifications rather than new ones - does anyone have any experience of this?) but I expect it is easier to organise work experience for kids in a large city with good transport links than it would be in a more rural/coastal area - and the problem with a lot of those places is a lack of job opportunities for young people in the first place.

And he's announced this in the summer holidays, which one of his teacher relatives should really have warned him is what is considered a 'dick move' in education.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/schools-prime-minister-burnham-lucy-powell-ofsted-b1291512.html

https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/secondary/new-technical-pathways-for-students-announced-by-andy-burnham

Andy should also be aware that calling them 'prestigious technical pathways' is a noble effort, but there is, and always has been a massive issue with vocational subjects being seen as lesser than academic ones. If these prestigious pathways end up being for the kids who are not going to get decent GCSEs - which is always the kids who people think should do vocational qualifications - then they will not be prestigious and the middle classes will continue to steer their kids down the academic route.

You’d be suprised. I’ve worked in very male dominated industries for a long time. Or they were. Every year I see more females appearing at all grades. In various of these industries. Engineering, construction, trades, waste & recycling, environmental work, police etc etc.

When I was at vocational school a few years ago I saw a fair number of women and teenage girls learning the male dominated trades, though the majority were studying things like hairdressing, beauty, catering (fairly even split male and female that I could see) and business, but was good to see so many learning to be electricians, carpenters, machinists etc. Those trades are about 10 or 11% female in my country now and I expect the percentage is rising and perhaps that's thanks to the easily accessible vocational school system rather than having to try and get apprenticeships in a male dominated sector.

Inmho for.vocational traditionally non graduate jobs the more lucrative "trades' are dominated by men. I have had many bui lders, plumbers etc. around and all have been male sadly and this is still borne out by the stats. When was the last time you r car was seen by a female mechanic? It seems to be under parity in roles is a lot more apparent for graduate roles e.g. medicine law etc.

there are various reasons for this and I hope am I not being sexist by simply pointing out women are in general less physically strong than men and this is a factor. I agree more should be done about gender parity in vocational roles but this will take a long time and large cultural change. Yes may be one day 50% of HGV driver s will be women but that is definitely not the short term.

Also sadly there is very much a 'male' culture say within the construction industry still and misogyny is common and the 'banter' can be off putting to women if it does involve being derogatory to women (I have some knowledge of building sites).

It will change over time and equally maybe more males will go into childcare etc But I don’t think a vocational optima overall negatively impact females. I’m still in a traditionally male environment and it’s now definitely 50% female. Changed massively in ten years. Middle age white men are increasingly now becoming females of all backgrounds

Watch your pay start to drop....

And the senior management, strangely, stay disproportionately male...