Do we value vocational skills?

better than to take an apprenticeship or vocational qualification at a university? We asked four of their points of view

Charlie

Mullins, managing director of Pimlico Plumbers

For years we have sold the full load of balls and told him that if you want to achieve in life and be successful, then you need to go to university and manual labor is only for those who aren 'smart enough to go to college t. And where does it go? Thousands of being useless, and hundreds of thousands of students working with large debts and no, it's there. After ranting about this for years, it seems that I'm not alone over here.

In its report on vocational training, Professor Alison Wolf concluded that jobs such as plumbing, carpentry, electricity - you know, the tools of society - have been degraded status Social recent years, a situation she said should be changed if it will solve the huge problem of youth unemployment.

One step forward might be to stop using terms such as professional. We should talk about "get a trade," that many parents use their children to aspire to as recently as the 1970s. The fact that only the subject out there for public discussion, you must come with a word that plumbers do not even like me says it all.

Worgan Gill, director of West Herts College

Government invests heavily in the creation of new learning. At the same time, Ebacc was introduced, which focuses exclusively on academic qualifications. What is missing is an alternative, a technical school, which provides training and real valuable skills, and leads to real jobs for young people.

• critics may say that children in encouraging way for 14 years, is questionable. Our experience shows that children receive the right program for their learning needs is what leads to success.

Naimish

Gohil, deputy director of Henry Compton School in West London

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