Authors: Lynne Rogers, Hilary McQueen, Ken Spours – UCL Institute of Education
Career colleges combine vocational training with real-world experience to offer an additional choice in vocational education opportunities for 14-19 year olds. This study explores how Career Colleges were set up; the perceptions held by stakeholders; the interaction with employers and how these colleges support young people’s transition to positive destinations. We find that the career College initiative offers ‘vocational enhancement’ and opportunities to strengthen existing vocational provision.
Recommendations
- It is time for Key Stage 4 curriculum to be revisited so that students are made aware of wider options for vocational education and have a choice in the subjects they study.
- There are opportunities for local college and career colleges to collaborate and develop courses / skills priorities relevant to the local area
- The emphasis on employer led activities and project-based learning enables young people to meaningfully engage with employers and contributes to their authentic understanding of the world of work
- The introduction of Technical Levels (T-levels) may help to address misconception that vocational qualifications are second best. The challenge will be to establish strong employer engagement and Career Colleges provide a strong model of employer engagement which others can learn from.