Abstract
<p style="text-align: justify;">Throughout the 1980s and 90s there was international interest in the UK’s extensive experience (which began in the 1970s) with measures to alleviate youth unemployment. Today the UK attracts international attention on account of its low rates of youth unemployment and NEET, its (still) relatively rapid education-to-work transitions, and (according to the OECD) its sustainable system for funding mass higher education. This paper uses a transitions regime paradigm to overview the outcomes of 40 years of change in England’s lower and upper secondary education, government-supported training, welfare provisions, economy and labour markets. We see how government policies polarise schools and young people into those who are achieving and those who are failing. Then, as employers become more influential, young people are re-sorted into the employment classes that have been formed during 30 years of change in the economy and labour market. Most from the former achieving group are pulled into the centre, between the smaller numbers on the one side who are embarking on elite careers, and on the other those who become part of a precariat class.</p>
Highlights
This paper reviews the outcomes of 30 years of change in the education-to-work transitions of England’s young people
The following passages present the ‘transition regime paradigm’, which is followed by an overview of how young people currently progress through lower secondary education, to ‘learning’ at 16-18, and their steps into apprenticeships, higher education and employment
Thirteen percent of registered 16-18 year old students in full-time education had taken ‘none’ or ‘other’ qualifications in 2017. If we add those who did not continue in full-time education, and the ‘technical qualifications only’ group, we find that around 40 percent of the age group had made no progress since age 16
Summary
This paper reviews the outcomes of 30 years of change in the education-to-work transitions of England’s young people. The post-1988 school regime has aimed to drive up attainments, and the chosen method has been to encourage schools to compete for results, and thereby for pupil enrolments and funding It has created ‘league tables’ in which secondary schools have been ranked mainly according the proportions of their 16 year olds who achieve five or more good (A-C) GCSE passes. Pupils judged unable to reach this benchmark risk being neglected, encouraged to transfer out of a school or formally excluded This is how England has become one of Europe’s countries with the highest proportions of young people who become higher education graduates, and one of the highest proportions (around 20 percent) who exit education without basic skills in literacy and numeracy which are required to lead a normal everyday life (Brooks et al, 2004). Unemployment was still low (6 percent) and another 10 percent were inactive
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
