Technical Institutes

The new Coalition Government has already made an impact. Not all their actions are positive, with the most significant change being made to the amount of money available for public sector spending. Colleges will have to take their share of the pain, and future projections show that up to 25% of funding will be cut from the FE budget. Protection has however been given to 16-18 year old students. In this context it is worth remembering what Chris Humphries said at our annual conference about the demographic change that is taking place, whereby the number of teenagers in the UK will fall by 700,000 in the next decade. With fewer people in the system it follows that there will be less funding available.

BACH's concern is to ensure that there is sufficient provision to meet the future needs of the industry and, as Chris highlighted, the need for people with construction skills will grow. He also stated that we have too many graduates with degrees in subjects that do not add value to the economy. He highlighted the need for the UK to produce more jobs in areas that require higher level skills and qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. We may therefore see a reduction in the numbers going into HE to gain a degree, but an increase in those following other HE programmes that are more relevant to the skills needs of the UK.

The Coalition Government is considering changes to schools (especially those which are deemed to be failing) by offering them the opportunity to become Technical Institutes. I believe that this move is fundamentally flawed, and that it will not encourage young people with ability to progress into FE, where they can access a more comprehensive provision. It might sound cynical, but simply turning failing schools into Technical Institutes will not produce highly motivated young people with the skills that employers are looking for. I believe that such institutions will still have the same staff teaching the same learners, with the same attitude to learning that they demonstrate at the moment. Rebranding a school will not, in itself, turn it into a successful educational institution.

The way forward is to encourage partnerships with FE, where progression into the construction industry is seen as a positive career move, and one that is valued in our society. It will require an improved contribution from the careers service, one that more closely aligns the needs of employers with the direction young people should be encouraged to follow to improve their career prospects.

Ray