Press releases
Stephen Tetlow MBE, Chief Executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, said in response to the report of the Independent Panel on Technical Education:
“The report is right to point out that for decades technical-based education has been unfit for purpose and many people have been denied the opportunity to make informed choices, due to poor careers advice and a confusing multitude of courses and qualifications.
“The focus on academic routes into industry over the last 20 years, has disenfranchised and stigmatised many people who have wanted to undertake more vocational, technical-based option to learning and skills development.
“So I welcome this ground-breaking and radical initiative to modernise and simplify our outdated system. Recognition of the need to align advanced apprenticeships and college-based training with existing professional registration standards, such as for the Engineering Technicians we so badly need, is especially welcome. This will help give trainees and employers confidence in the quality of training and invigorate our skills supply.
“However to ensure these changes support all parts of our economy, we require clarity on the proposals, especially on the role and responsibilities of the Institute of Apprenticeships, and the future funding structure of further education in light of the recent EU Referendum. Furthermore, before any of the recommendations of the report are implemented, Government needs to develop clear joined-up national and regional policies for growth, which include energy, infrastructure, transport and healthcare provision. Without these policies in place, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to judge where and when the priorities for funding apprenticeships should be focused. We need to ensure people have the right technical training and skills in disciplines where there is demand and that are critical to the country’s prosperity, such as engineering which is worth £455.6bn to the UK economy every year.
“This strategy needs a leap-of-faith among many hard-pressed employers to ensure they see this as an investment in the future. Therefore long-term, cross-party support to help underpin market confidence will be vital if we are to make this a success.”