Back to the Future

Qualifications and subjects

Technical education has changed. There are now new qualifications, like:  T-levels, which launched in 2020 and are an alternative to A-levels; HTQs, higher education alternatives to full time degrees; and a wide range of apprenticeships right up to degree level. All of which mean your child has more varied options – backed by employers – than ever before.

Your 16-year-old could take a T-level in accounting, digital or craft and design, all with a 45-day industry placement with an employer to give them first-hand experience of the world of work.

There are now apprenticeships on offer in huge range of exciting professions, from being a paralegal to a paramedic, counter-fraud investigator to countryside ranger, or even a space engineering technician.

The learning environment

Rows of wooden desks and chalkboards are a thing of the past! While not every school or college has robotics labs, advancements in technology have changed how young people learn today:

• From pictures on overhead projectors to digital interactive boards that record lessons for future revision
• From learning theory in textbooks to watching videos on how things work
• From getting your exercise books marked overnight to real- time marking online that helps to create personal learning plans for your child.

Future careers and links with employers

Every young person needs good career guidance – and support from their parent or guardian – to make informed decisions about their future. The Gatsby Benchmarks for Good Career Guidance have been introduced in all schools and colleges in England as the government framework to ensure all young people get career guidance and support that is tailored for them – and raises aspirations.

The Benchmarks include linking the curriculum to careers, personalised guidance from a Careers Adviser, and encounters with employers.

They state that every student should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace, and they should have first-hand experience of the workplace through work visits, shadowing and/or work experience to help their exploration of career opportunities.

Technical Education reform

The technical education options on offer to your child today – including T-levels and Apprenticeships – have a whole host of benefits:

• Through T-levels industry placements and apprenticeships, young people are better prepared for the real world of work – whether they go straight into a job at 18 or on to further study.
• Industry placements help accelerate personal growth, and exposure to industry means they can make more informed choices about their future career and explore what they’re good at and what they enjoy.
• Exposure to the real world of work can help them develop transferable skills such as teamwork and communication, as well as trying various roles that helps keep their options open.