Call for vocational education shake-up

YOUNG PEOPLE are being “forced down an academic route that doesn’t suit them”, the Government’s choice to head the social mobility commission has said, warning that England does not need a nation of adults with Oxford degrees.

Dame Martina Milburn, announced in May as the preferred candidate to become next chairwoman of the commission, told MPs at a pre-appointment hearing she wants to see an overhaul of vocational education.

A shake-up of the system would “make a real difference” to social mobility, she said, ensuring everyone gets the same opportunities in life, regardless of background. When asked what she would like to challenge first, she replied: “Personally, I would like to really look at vocational education. I think that, for me, is a huge key to making a real difference in social mobility.”