REACTION: TECHNICAL PATHWAYS


NEW FOCUS ON TECHNICAL EDUCATION HAS POTENTIAL TO SPARK A NEW GENERATION OF ELECTRICIANS


Comment by KEITH SANDERSON, Head of Education and Skills at Electrical Contractors’ Association


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CA welcomes Andy Burnham’s recognition that practical and technical skills are becoming more important, not less, in the age of AI. We are eager to see the detail and to work with government, education providers and employers so these reforms deliver competent, qualified electricians with good, sustainable careers. The clean energy transition depends on skilled people in every community. Electricians, engineers, technicians and digital specialists will be central to upgrading homes, buildings, infrastructure and critical systems, so young people need clear, respected, and properly funded routes into those careers.


That is exactly why ECA created its regional Electrotechnical Training and Careers Alliances. The ETCAs are an innovative model for aligning local training with real employer demand, strengthening industry input into skills delivery, and helping learners progress into apprenticeships and meaningful employment.


They are already showing how national ambition can be turned into practical local action. By connecting colleges, training providers, employers and civic leaders, ETCAs are helping communities identify skills gaps, shape provision, and create better pathways into electrical careers. Putting technical education at the heart of the curriculum could be a major step forward, but the government must avoid shortcuts in safety-critical occupations. The priority must be recognised routes to competence, stronger support for SMEs to recruit and train apprentices, and regional partnerships that connect learners to real jobs powering Britain’s AI, clean energy and infrastructure future.


A POSITIVE MOVE – BUT TECHNICAL EDUCATION MUST KEEP PACE


Comment by GRAEME STEWART, Head of Public Sector at Check Point Software


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iving technical education greater prominence is a positive move. The challenge now is making sure what’s taught reflects the pace of the industries it’s designed to support. AI, cyber security and advanced manufacturing evolve far more quickly than traditional qualifications, so employers and industry experts need to be involved in shaping the syllabus from the outset.


Cyber security feels like the obvious missing piece. AI is becoming embedded across almost every profession and every sector, but it only delivers real value if it’s secure, trusted


and resilient. Those principles shouldn’t be reserved for specialist IT roles. They should be part of every young person’s understanding of technology.


There is a real opportunity here for the UK. The next generation is growing up using AI as part of everyday life. In many cases, they’re already more comfortable with these technologies than people who’ve spent years in the workplace. Education has the chance to build on that familiarity with the technical knowledge, security awareness and critical thinking that employers are crying out for. Getting that right would strengthen both the UK’s workforce and its long-term competitiveness.


September 2026


LONG OVERDUE – BUT IT MUST TRANSLATE INTO MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES


Comment by LUKAS KAMINSKIS, CEO at Turing College P


utting technical education at the heart of the curriculum, rather than treating it as an optional extra, is long overdue. With AI, automation and digital technology reshaping the workplace, earlier exposure to these skills makes clear sense.


However, this cannot simply be about adding a few new subjects to the timetable or teaching pupils how to use the latest AI tools. Students will need strong foundations in critical thinking, problem-solving and data literacy, as well as an understanding of the


limitations and risks of the technology. These are skills that will be valuable across almost every profession, not only in explicitly technical jobs. Schools will also need properly trained teachers, strong links with employers and access to technology that reflects what is actually being used in the workplace. Without sufficient investment and support, there is a risk that the ambition sounds good but does not translate into meaningful or consistent opportunities for pupils across the country. It is also important that these pathways remain broad and flexible. At 14, many pupils will not yet know what career they want, so technical education should open doors rather than push them down a fixed route too early. The direction is right, but the detail, funding and quality of delivery will determine whether these reforms genuinely improve their prospects.


TECHNICAL EDUCATION REFORM MUST INCLUDE UNIVERSITIES


Comment by OWEN DIXON, Founder of Best Student Halls G


iving young people earlier access to technical education, employers and meaningful work experience is a practical response to the growing gap between education and employment. Technical routes have too often been seen as a second choice. Changing school performance measures and giving local leaders and employers a stronger role should help ensure these pathways are properly valued rather than offered as an optional extra.


But parity must not create a new divide. Young people should not be asked to choose between technical and academic education as though the two lead to completely separate futures.~


Many of the industries the Government wants to support, from engineering and healthcare to digital technology, need both practical expertise and advanced academic knowledge. Universities, colleges, apprenticeships and employers should therefore be connected parts of the same system.


Burnham is right to say qualifications alone are no longer enough. Young people need experience, confidence and clearer routes into work. Those principles should apply at university too, where stronger employer links, placements and careers support are increasingly important. Universities must remain central to this reform. They develop skilled workers, drive research and innovation, and support the economies of the regions around them. Strengthening technical education should add to that contribution, not diminish it.


This announcement is a strong first step. The test will be whether the Government creates genuine flexibility, allowing young people to move between technical education, further education, apprenticeships and university as their ambitions develop.


The goal should not simply be to create different routes. It should be to make sure every route leads somewhere.


www.education-today.co.uk 29


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