Andy Burnham is urging schools across England to tailor their curricula to the demands of local businesses as part of a devolution initiative aimed at addressing youth unemployment. The plan seeks to elevate technical and vocational skills alongside academic qualifications, with a target start date of September 2028.
This initiative represents a significant push to decentralize educational control and align skills training with local economic needs, potentially reshaping career pathways for young people and addressing long-standing issues of youth unemployment and skills gaps in England.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, is set to announce a significant overhaul of the education system in England, urging schools to tailor their curricula to the needs of local businesses. This initiative, part of a broader devolution drive, aims to address the crisis of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) by making technical and vocational skills as respected as academic qualifications.
The plan, which draws inspiration from Burnham's own Greater Manchester baccalaureate (MBacc) policy, proposes that by September 2028, mayors and local leaders will collaborate with schools and employers to design technical training programs aligned with local job markets. This approach seeks to provide young people aged 14 and above with clear pathways to employment, valuing practical skills alongside traditional academic subjects.
Burnham stated that the current system has historically overemphasized university routes, leaving those seeking technical qualifications feeling like 'second-class students.' He believes this new model will 'value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap.' The initiative also aims to reduce the benefits bill by equipping young people with employable skills.
The proposal aligns with findings from a recent report by Alan Milburn, former Labour cabinet minister, which highlighted that one million young people across the UK are currently NEET, partly due to a lack of focus on employability and non-academic qualifications. Milburn has welcomed Burnham's plans as a 'big step in the right direction.'
Discussions around tackling the benefits system, including a separate review by Minister for Social Security Stephen Timms into the personal independence payment disability system, will also be informed by these efforts. While the MBacc has only been piloted in a limited number of schools, other regional mayors have expressed interest in gaining more control over their local education curricula.