VOCATIONAL STUDIES
well-served by either A- or T-level courses. Pupils with special educational needs are particularly likely to be left in the cold as they may struggle to gain enough good GCSE grades (in the more traditional exam-based style of learning) to start one of the new level three courses. So, have vocational qualifications finally come of age? Well, they seem to be getting there, helped by initiatives from new, high-profile firms. None higher profile than Multiverse, founded by Euan Blair – son of Tony Blair. Multiverse has
recently been given the go-ahead to award degrees – and not just any old degrees. These are something a bit different, applied qualifications that don’t involve exam halls and reams of lecture notes, but are instead based around coaching and workplace experience during apprenticeships with top employers. They reflect, as Mr Blair stresses, not just what students know, but how they use that knowledge in the workplace. And it’s that type of joined-up thinking that’s going to be – and indeed, already is – increasingly sought-after.
Have vocational qualifications finally come of age?
36 AUTUMN/WINTER 2022
Powered by FlippingBook