We welcome the emphasis on high quality vocational education including greater links with employers through work experience and the strengthened vocational pathway for 14-19 year olds. Along with other sector skills councils, we will be working with our partners in industry and education to develop vocational curriculum that responds to and meets employers needs and provides young people with an education that leads to well-designed and rewarding jobs.

Cogent supports the increased pupil choice set out in the White Paper. In addition to the existing learning programmes, 14-19 year olds will be able to pursue an employer led vocational diploma or specific sector apprenticeships.  These will be flexibly delivered across a range of providers including schools, colleges and work-based learning providers to suit the needs and learning styles of individual pupils.

Cogent is disappointed that Sir MikeTomlinson’s proposal, set out in his report, of an overarching diploma was rejected. This proposal would have injected a real, and in our view highly beneficial, innovation to the all important 12-19 learning phase.

However, we look forward to working with both our partners in training and education and with employers to make the new vocational diploma a success and to supporting young people in their career choices. We believe that these reforms will also tackle the high drop out rates which currently exist within this phase of education.

John Ramsay, Cogent’s Chief Executive, said: “Vocational education has for too long been seen as second-class. These reforms place it at the heart of the education system and will contribute towards breaking down the current artificial barrier between “vocational” and “academic” routes. We hope it will improve the education and career prospects of young people, and encourage them to be innovative, creative and highly skilled assets for UK business.

”However, we could still do with greater clarity about the options around combining vocational and academic qualifications and we would like see clearer and more positive  language used to discuss the two paths,  to more accurately reflect the range and level of  professional skills required in 21st century industry.

“The proposals will go some way to help Cogent and our partners to increase the attractiveness of careers in our industries, by showing young people the real opportunities and choices that will be open to them if they take the appropriate routes to becoming both academically competent and suitably skilled.”