Transcript Director of Policy and Research

Skills and Economic Growth –
High Performing Systems
David Harbourne
Director of Policy and Research
The Edge Foundation
The Edge Foundation is an independent education charity. We
champion technical, practical and vocational learning.
We believe all young people should have the opportunity to
achieve their potential and the UK’s future workforce needs to
be equipped with the skills to be successful in the modern,
global economy.
Learning by doing should be valued equally with academic
learning and that all learners should experience a mix of both.
There are many paths to success.
For example …
University Technical
Colleges (UTCs)
Studio Schools
The Edge Hotel
School
The rising tide of unemployment
NEET Trends: England
18.0%
16.0%
14.0%
12.0%
10.0%
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
q2 2000 q2 2001 q2 2002 q2 2003 q2 2004 q2 2005 q2 2006 q2 2007 q2 2008 q2 2009 q2 2010 q2 2011 q2 2012
NEETs: international trends
Country
In many
countries,
participation in
technical and
vocational
education is
associated with
lower rates of
youth
unemployment.
Turkey
Spain
Italy
England
France
OECD average
Australia
Switzerland
Austria
Germany
Czech Republic
Denmark
Netherlands
Technical/
NEET %,
vocational % 2009
37
36.7
43
20.2
60
18.1
41
14.5
44
13.4
46
12.8
60
10.0
65
9.3
77
9.2
57
8.9
75
8.6
58
6.3
68
5.7
Take-up of technical/vocational pathways in upper
secondary education and percentage of 15-24 year
olds not in education, employment or training in 2009
Austria: the OECD view
The Austrian economy continues to impress
with very good economic performance while
maintaining a high degree of social cohesion.
This strength rests on three pillars:
• A successful export-oriented economy
• A highly skilled and motivated labour force
• Social partners taking responsibility for
reform
Education in Austria
• Strong tradition of academic, technical and
vocational streams.
• Concern about differentiating too early has
led to new comprehensive middle schools and
differentiation at 14.
• Careers guidance is mandatory in years 7-8.
• Technical and vocational schools have one or
more specialisms, ranging from interior design
to IT.
Singapore
• History of rapid growth: GDP grew by 14.5% in
2010.
• Ranked third in the World Economic Forum’s
Global Competitiveness Report behind
Switzerland and Sweden.
• One of the lowest rates of unemployment in
the world.
• Highly skilled and well educated.
Education in Singapore
• Very high performing system - eg high O level
pass rates – but the Government believes
there’s too much “passive rote learning”.
• “We need a mountain range of excellence, not
just one peak, to inspire all our young people
to find their passions and climb as far as they
can.”
• Careers education starts in primary school.
Technical/vocational education
• In 1992, Singapore decided to transform
vocational education, leading to the creation
of the Institute for Technical Education (ITE).
• Enrolment has doubled since 1995, and ITE
now recruits about 25% of the post-secondary
cohort.
Canada: the OECD view
• Canada has made great strides in
macroeconomic and structural policy.
• The economy withstood the global economic
crisis well.
• Innovation is high on the government’s
agenda.
• Empirical evidence supports a significant
impact of educational attainment on growth.
Education in Ontario
• The Ontario Curriculum was introduced in
2000; education has been compulsory to age
18 since 2008.
• Students work towards high school graduation
by achieving credits – this includes
compulsory career studies.
• High school graduation has risen from 68 per
cent in 2003-04 to 82 per cent in 2010-11.
Agriculture
Arts and
Culture
Aviation and
Aerospace
Business
Construction
Energy
Environment
Forestry
Health and
Wellness
Horticulture
and
Landscaping
Hospitality and ICT
Tourism
Mining
Justice, Community Safety and
Emergency Services
Manufacturing
Non-profit
Transportation
Sports
SHSM = bundles of 8-10 courses
Six Steps for change
We want the education and training system to:
1. Recognise that there are many talents and paths to success
2. Ensure that “learning by doing” is valued equally with academic learning
3. Provide technical, practical and vocational learning as an integral and
valued part of every young person’s education and as a recognised route
to success
4. From the age of 14, give young people a choice of learning experiences
and paths based on their motivation, talents and career aspirations
5. Ensure that the technical, practical and vocational education and
qualifications offered in schools, FE and HE are high quality and recognised
by employers
6. Ensure all young people, whatever their different abilities and interests,
leave the system with confidence, ambition and the skills to succeed and
the skills the economy needs
Step 4 in more detail
• Four-year programmes of study for 14-18 year
olds, combining academic and hands-on
subjects.
• Access to impartial careers information,
advice and guidance from the age of 11.
• Teachers and parents need better information,
too.
Shameless plug