New focus on further education

THE target to send 50% of young people to university will be torn up and the Government will focus on building a “German-style” further education system, the Education Secretary has pledged. Gavin Williamson will say a rebalance towards further education is vital for the UK’s economic recovery following Covid-19, adding that for decades the country has “failed” to give it the investment it deserves.

In a speech, Mr Williamson will say there are “limits” to what we can achieve by sending more people into higher education, adding that it is “not always what the individual and nation needs”. He will say we should not seek to drive half of young people down a path that can all too often end with graduates not having the skills they need to find meaningful work.

The minister will say further education (FE), apprenticeships and university should all be seen as equally valid routes as he will call time on the idea that higher education is better than further education.

In the virtual speech hosted by the Social Market Foundation, Mr Williamson will make a personal commitment to invest in long-term reform to transform post-16 education.