Don’t let the pursuit of rigour undermine vocational reform

For too long, vocational education has risked being talked about as an alternative to the academic route rather than a valuable pathway in its own right.

Things are now shifting; In July, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Britain must ‘value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap’, and education Secretary Lucy Powell has been equally clear that every young person should be able to see a route to success, whatever their talents or ambitions.

But parity cannot simply be declared. If vocational pathways are to command the same confidence as traditional academic routes, the qualifications underpinning them must have the quality, rigour and relevance to make that ambition a reality.