Lord Freyberg – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Department for Education

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Lord Freyberg on 2015-10-28.

To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they intend to take steps to increase the number of vocational pathways in design disciplines, and if so, by how many.

Lord Nash

There are a variety of different options available to young people to enable them to gain the skills required to enter design related occupations. 14-16 year olds can study design related GCSEs and government approved technical awards. 16-19 year olds can study design related A Levels and government approved technical certificates or tech levels, which are supported by employers. Options beyond this include higher education or employment, and there are apprenticeships currently available in the field of design.

We want to go further to reform technical and professional education to develop a world-leading system to deliver the skills that the economy needs. The Productivity Plan, published in July 2015, announced the government’s intention to reform technical and professional education to provide individuals with clear, high-quality routes to employment.