Anyone who has been a teacher, lecturer or worked in a support role in education knows that moment – the look on a young person’s face when they’re full of pride for what they’ve achieved. It’s the magic dust in education: the moment all those extra hours in intervention sessions, marking books, conducting practicals, or quietly checking in when a young person loses their way comes good. When a learner is able to hold their head up high and feel proud of their achievements, it helps them see that their contributions in the world matter – and who wouldn’t want that? Next week, I’m anticipating many such moments as I’m lucky enough to be cheering on Team UK at the 48th WorldSkills competition in Shanghai. For the uninitiated, the competition will bring together young people from over 70 countries to compete in over 60 skills categories, all looking to earn their place on the podium and win a medal for their country. Categories range from floristry to aircraft maintenance to stonemasonry – think of it like a Great British Bake Off on steroids, with an international tilt across a whole range of skills. Competition is fierce, with WorldSkills training camps happening all over the globe, and a likely 250,000 visitors, including young people, educators, government officials, and employers expected to descend on Shanghai from next week. In England, there has rightly been a focus on creating new technical and vocational routes, initially at post-16 and now at 14-16 too, with prime minister Andy Burnham stating that he wants young people to receive the ‘respect they deserve’ whatever route they take. While there are many ways that could be achieved, what everyone needs to prioritise is increasing all young people’s abilities, so that they feel proud of their achievements in the same way those competitors at WorldSkills will, whether they’ve taken a vocational or academic route, or a blend of both. At AQA, we’re thinking hard about how we best do that, alongside our vocational experts at TQUK. Our new V Level and Level 2 Certificates combine the quality you’d expect from one of England’s largest and most established education assessment charities, with the innovation and focus on student outcomes that colleges and sixth form leaders tell us they want. Our aim is to create qualifications that are meaningful to employers and that help young people get the respect and outcomes they deserve. Reforming vocational routes also needs to go hand in hand with increased employment opportunities for young people. IPPR research published this week highlights that young people now face three times the unemployment rate of the rest of the wider workforce – the largest gap since records began. As you’d imagine, regional inequality reigns, with job availability for those likely to be NEETS much stronger in Southern England than in the North East, West Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber. The good news is that there are strong partnerships out there that exist, like the ones between our training provider, Realise, and mayoral strategic authorities. The Routes to Success programme in West Yorkshire, for example, provides free bus driving training to local people, with a guaranteed interview at the end. And having seen one of the young people arrive after just passing his bus driving test, it was a joy to see him light up with the pride of having achieved something that takes him one step closer to a job. Next week provides a welcome opportunity to see what’s possible when vocational and technical education takes centre stage. I can’t wait to experience the ‘wow’ factor that I’m told comes with a celebration on that scale, with all the prestige around it – and of course, those moments of pride for the competitors. And as we have conversations about how to improve outcomes for young people in England, I’m hoping some of the policy solutions provide more opportunities for young people to feel genuine pride in their achievements, whatever route they choose. Good luck Team UK!