Andy Burnham's proposals to elevate technical education alongside academic routes in England have garnered widespread support, with notable enthusiasm from former Conservative minister Kenneth Baker. The 91-year-old former education secretary praised the announcement, stating, "I'm very impressed with what he has said. It's a very significant announcement. I'm going to try to persuade the Conservative party to support this."
Shared vision across party lines
Despite differing generations and political affiliations, Lord Baker and Burnham converge on a critical issue: the need to address the one million 16- to 24-year-olds not in employment, education, or training (Neets). Their shared vision emphasizes valuing technical and vocational skills equally with academic qualifications. Burnham's plan, which requires schools to develop courses for students aged 14 and above tailored to local job markets, draws inspiration from the Greater Manchester baccalaureate (MBacc) he introduced as mayor in 2023. However, the MBacc itself is rooted in Baker's long-standing advocacy for university technical colleges (UTCs).
UTCs as a model
First launched under the coalition government in 2010, UTCs are state-funded schools for 14- to 19-year-olds that collaborate with local employers and universities to deliver specialized technical education alongside core subjects. Baker serves as president of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, which oversees England's 44 UTCs. While UTCs have faced challenges—including recruitment difficulties, closures, and mixed Ofsted results—they have achieved notably low rates of youth unemployment. According to Baker, UTCs currently have the lowest level of youth unemployment among any school group, at less than 5%, compared to 16.4% in state secondary schools. He highlighted that "last year half of our schools had no unemployment. Every student went on to further education, or a university or a job. It's an exceptional achievement."
Starting at 14: a critical factor
Baker emphasized that Burnham correctly identified the importance of beginning technical education at age 14. "It's too late to do it at 16," he said. A practical example of this approach is Walney School in Barrow-in-Furness, which will introduce an employer-led technical education pathway—a UTC "sleeve" within the school—this September. The program aims to equip students with skills for careers in healthcare and engineering while addressing local skills shortages.
Implementation challenges
Scaling this model nationally would require converting classrooms into workshops, potentially at high cost. For instance, one UTC with a health specialism transformed rooms into a hospital ward and pharmacy. School leaders and unions have expressed concerns about funding. Matt Wrack, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union, warned, "Currently, schools are under significant and increasing financial pressure. They are being asked to do even more with even less. No successful and sustainable package of change is deliverable in such circumstances."
Equity concerns
Some worry that disadvantaged children may be funneled into vocational tracks. Shadow education secretary Laura Trott posted on X, "Labour is repeating the mistakes of the past. They previously tried this approach of more 'vocational' courses at GCSE. What happened? The poorest children got funnelled down them, standards dropped and outcomes did not improve." Education analyst Tom Richmond echoed this, noting that a key challenge is ensuring technical pathways do not become a "dumping ground for 'those who can't'." He questioned who would decide student placement, referencing past issues with admissions at age 11.
Employer engagement and funding
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) highlighted the difficulty of securing employer involvement. Imran Tahir, senior research economist at the IFS, said, "Getting employers to engage with designing—and perhaps helping to deliver—training programmes will be vital to their success. Recent experience with T-levels shows how challenging it can be to secure their involvement in delivery." Despite these hurdles, some educators remain optimistic. Marc Doyle, CEO of the Quest Trust, which includes a UTC in Bolton, remarked, "I've always been a huge believer in the power of technical education to improve life chances. It's been music to my ears listening to Andy Burnham's announcement. All of a sudden the rest of the world is starting to catch up."
