Oral Answers to Questions

Mary Glindon Excerpts

Monday 16th June 2014 Commons Chamber

[Julie Elliott (Sunderland Central) (Lab)]

6. What steps his Department is taking to strengthen relationships between local employers, schools and further education colleges.

[Mrs Mary Glindon (North Tyneside) (Lab)]

8. What steps his Department is taking to strengthen relationships between local employers, schools and further education colleges.

[The Minister for Skills and Enterprise (Matthew Hancock)]

We are in the middle of a big culture change, with more and more employers—

--- Later in debate ---

[Matthew Hancock]

Absolutely—strengthening the role of employers in governance and on careers advice, and inspiring pupils are vital, and a whole programme of work is under way to encourage more employers. One thing we can do is make it easier and bring about a brokerage so that employers who want to get involved can do so without too much bureaucracy and with the support of their local schools.

[Mrs Glindon]

Churchill community college has been judged outstanding by Ofsted, and the inspector said that the school prepares young people well for their future. Will the Minister say how his Department will get employers directly involved in curriculum support so that young people at Churchill—and elsewhere—can capitalise on their excellent education and be successful in the world of work?

[Matthew Hancock]

Yes, absolutely. One example is the introduction of tech levels for those between 16 and 19 who want to go into vocational education, which will get them into a job. These qualifications have to be signed off as valuable by an employer before we will accept them as tech levels, thus demonstrating the line of sight from work that exists in all educational vocational education.