GM Chamber comment on school leaving age and diplomas

Chris Fletcher, Deputy Chief Executive of Greater Manchester Chamber, commenting on the raising of the school leaving age and the introduction of Diplomas, says the raising of the school leaving age should help to tackle the problem of 16 to 18-year-olds who are neither in education or training. However, he added that if young people are being kept in the education system longer, it is vital that what they’re studying properly equips them for the world of work.

Mr Flecther continued: “The introduction of Diplomas is more controversial. The first problem is that employers don’t know what these qualifications mean and there is likely to be a lot of confusion with all the other qualifications.

“Secondly, concerns have been raised about the way teachers are being trained to deliver the Diplomas. The main worry is that not enough time has been set aside for their training. This was reflected in the Chamber’s Skills Survey, which found that just over 76% of those questioned didn’t believe secondary school teachers were ready or skilled enough to teach Diplomas to the level required by employers.”