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CVER Event:
Minister hosts BIS/CVER Professional and Technical Education Seminar

9 July 2015

The Minister of State for Skills, Nick Boles MP, hosted a Ministerial Seminar on Professional and Technical Education Routes, jointly organised by the Centre for Vocational Education Research and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills on 9 July.

Experts were asked to share their vision of what an education system that can deliver high quality professional and technical skills at intermediate and higher levels should look like. Andreas Schleicher, OECD Head of Education and Skills, introduced the meeting with an overview of the state of the English intermediate skills and education compared to other OECD countries (View his presentation). Delegates were invited to address the following broad question, which was then the focus of discussion at the seminar (conducted under 'Chatham House' rules):

What should we do to address the issues that face technical and professional education in this country? Including:
  • What provision (e.g. curriculum and qualifications) is needed to deliver high-quality technical and professional education, and why?
  • Which providers (e.g. schools, colleges, universities, independent training providers) are needed to deliver high-quality technical and professional education, and why?
  • How do we ensure that there are clear and coherent routes from initial skills development to the most advanced technical and professional training?
A fuller report of the meeting is available online, as well as the participants' submissions. The outcome of these discussions will feed into the work of the Centre for Vocational Education Research. We are very happy to receive comments and suggestions on this area of research, which can be sent to cver@lse.ac.uk