Vocational education and training 1979 onwards

Question 1

1

Answer 1

Vocational education & training transmits knowledge, skills & attitudes needed to pursue particular careers (e.g. courses in hairdressing, HSC, engineering, etc.)

The Conservative governments between 1979-1997 felt that youth unemployment was the result of schools’ failure to teach appropriate work skills. They said this ‘skills crisis’ was to blame for Britain’s economic decline. A number of schemes were developed that aimed to reduce youth unemployment, increase young people’s skill levels & make them more aware of the world of work

Question 2

Example

Answer 2

Apprenticeships & Training Schemes combine ‘on the job’ training alongside part-time study with the aim of achieving National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) & possibly other accreditations & skills. These became known as the ‘new vocationalism’ which also includes BTEC courses.

Question 3

A03

Answer 3

It essentially brought back a two-tier system where overwhelmingly, vocational courses were taken by working-class pupils and more traditionally academic courses by middle & upper-class pupils. Particularly neo-Marxist writers are critical of vocational education arguing that it provides cheap labour for employers & has helped to keep the pay rates of young workers low.

Vocationalism also reduces politically embarrassing unemployment statistics by keeping more young people off the statistics for longer.