UCU comment on Wolf review of vocational education

The union said that while it welcomed the recommendation for pupils studying vocational subjects to continue to study more traditional subjects, there had to be flexibility within the system for students to move between vocational courses and more traditional academic routes in schools.
 
UCU also cautioned against giving new university technical colleges (UTCs) disproportionately large amounts of money from the further education budget. The union said standards needed to be raised across the board and if a handful of UTCs received the lion's share of funding then existing schools and colleges would be short on funds and forced to channel students from predominantly working-class backgrounds in to cheaper vocational subjects.
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'Young people must have access to a broad curriculum and must not be forced to choose between academic and vocational routes at a young age. While we welcome the chance for students to study more traditional courses alongside vocational qualifications there has to be flexibility within the system.
 
'The government should think twice before giving the green light for more university technical colleges. We need all institutions to be well-funded and capable of delivering high-quality education. We fear the UTCs experiment could lead to selection by the back door and a system where students, typically from working-class backgrounds, are channelled in to vocational subjects in relatively under-resourced colleges, while their wealthier contemporaries are encouraged to pursue academic or high-tech courses only available in UTCs.'

Review of vocational education - The Wolf Report