Equip youngsters with the skills our country now needs

THE rise in unemployment to 5% - the highest level since the pandemic - should alarm us. Yet it reflects a longstanding truth: Britain is not short of talent or ambition; we are short of a system capable of connecting young people with meaningful careers and giving employers the confidence to invest in skills.

- David Land

Technical colleges require more backing to help industry hire young apprentices

For nearly four decades, GCSEs have shaped our education system. Introduced in 1986 by Kenneth Baker, they unified qualifications and raised standards.

But even Lord Baker now recognises that the world has changed. Despite their strengths, GCSEs no longer equip enough youngsters with the practical, technical and workplace skills demanded by an innovation-led economy.

That is why Lord Baker co-founded the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, establishing University Technical Colleges (UTCs) as a new model of technical excellence: schools built in partnership with employers, combining strong academics with real-world application from age 14. UTCs are not a critique of teachers or schools, they are a recognition our economy requires more than one route to success.

AT SOUTH Durham UTC, the results speak for themselves. Nearly 40% of students progress into paid apprenticeships - around eight times the national average. These are ordinary young people given access to extraordinary opportunities: real engineering facilities, genuine industry projects, meaningful placement experience and engagement with employers.