Middle-class parents ‘holding back’ vocational training

MIDDLE-CLASS parents have “snobbish” and “outdated” attitudes towards vocational studies, the Education Secretary has said.

Damian Hinds urged schools to do more to promote technical training for 18-year-olds, rather than only encouraging them to apply for university.

He said that vocational courses and apprenticeships need to be presented in a more positive light, so that bright and ambitious school-leavers do not see a degree as the only option.

Asked whether middle class parents are opposed to their children taking technical courses, Mr Hinds said: “I think we’ve all come across examples of snobbery towards vocational routes. “There are still some outdated attitudes – partly because people aren’t neces- sarily aware of how some industries and training has evolved.”

Mr Hinds, who is in Germany and the Netherlands this week to learn about their technical qualifications, added that people in the UK are now starting to see that non-academic pathways are “equally valid”.

Last year the Government announced that it would be launching the biggest overhaul of post-16 education in 70 years, as part of a drive to improve technical training.

Mr Hinds said that he welcomed the rise in university applications, particularly among students from deprived backgrounds. But he added that this may not be the best choice for all schoolleavers, and that teachers need to make students aware of other options.