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Labour plans 'technical degrees' to rival academic subjects

by Conrad Landin

ED MILIBAND laid out plans yesterday for a Labour government’s introduction of “technical degrees” sponsored by businesses to rival traditional academic subjects.

The degrees would be designed to give those already doing apprenticeships and vocational qualifications the chance to gain equal status with university graduates. 

Mr Miliband told a summit organised by education charity the Sutton Trust and media group Pearson that Britain should emulate Germany, where hi-tech industries more regularly sponsor workers through degrees.

Mr Miliband said: “For too long governments have believed there is only one way to success through education which is to follow the conventional academic route: to do GCSEs, A-levels, a traditional academic subject at university and then on to a career.”

The principle received a cautious welcome from National Union of Teachers general secretary Christine Blower. 

“For technical degrees to be successful, Labour needs to concentrate on what is happening in schools at the moment,” she said.

“Already we are seeing vocational qualifications being squeezed out of the curriculum due to the fact they have less weight in performance measures. The focus and emphasis given to core academic subjects, while important, needs to addressed.

“The design of any new qualification must not happen in Whitehall and rolled out on completion. The teaching profession alongside other stakeholders needs to be involved at every stage.”

Research by IpsosMORI published yesterday found that 36 per cent of adults thought a technical degree would be more valuable for future career prospects than a traditional academic one. A mere 21 per cent thought a normal degree would be better.

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