28th July 2026 • My Family Our Needs

Is your child starting Year 8 this September? New plans by Andy Burnham’s Labour government mean they may be able to choose from technical subjects as well as academic courses when they turn 14.

Andy Burnham has announced a fundamental change to England’s education system in an attempt to tackle youth unemployment and shift the focus away from university education.

Pupils ages 14 and above will be able to study technical subjects in addition to core academic subjects and will spend time with employers to gain work experience.

Due to commence in September 2028, the government said the courses will be linked to local industries designed to give children a clearer pathway into work.

Burnham said, ‘From today, Britain will value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap.

‘For too long in this country, students have been told that you must take the academic path to do well and to be respected.

‘The whole school system has been built around it and that has let down young people seeking technical qualifications.’

The Prime Minister intends to tell schools to adapt their curriculums to the needs of local businesses as part of their devolution drive, moving decision-making to local areas.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell said, the announcement marked the ‘start of a real shared effort with employers, businesses, mayors and councils to design an education system that connects young people to jobs and careers in their local area’.

The plan is central to a shift away from the education system’s focus on university, as degrees are being increasingly scrutinised and graduate job vacancies are declining, with MPs describing the student loan system as ‘unfair and broken’.

The Prime Minister made clear that he intends the changes to mark a cultural shift in Britain, boosting the workforce in underserved industries and ensure all post-16 education routes are seen as equally valuable by employers.

He told young people, ‘Whether you choose construction, coding or classics, or maths, manufacturing or mechanics, you’ll get the skills you need and be given the respect you deserve.’

The announcement highlighted that there will be prioritised funding for such technical and vocational qualifications and changes to the way Ofsted will inspect and measure performance for technical education.

The plans will address the worsening problem of young people not in employment, education or training (NEET) as Alan Milburn, the former Labour cabinet minister, warned of a ‘lost generation’.

In May, a report by Milburn found that 1 million young people aged 16-24 were affected, with number rising fast, as part of an ongoing review.

The report cited a number of factors, including a changing job market, inequality and health problems, but also blamed a lack of focus on employability skills and non-academic qualifications.

The government said the policy will eventually drive down the amount spent on welfare for young people and address wider efforts to tackle the benefits system.

The changes will be funded by the existing £570m investment to create additional college places across the country, plus the Department for Education settlement agreed last year, which boosted schools funding by £4.7bn by 2028-29.

The government’s devolution drive is a major political push to transfer power, money and decision-making from Parliament to regional mayors and local combined authorities, including the creation of a ‘No 10 North’ in Manchester.

The changes will only impact England, but improving access to technical and vocational education has been a common focus for governments in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland too in recent years.

The overhaul follows Burnham’s flagship education policy, the Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc), he introduced in September 2024 as the city’s mayor.

The programme provided a framework for pupils to pick GCSE subjects in both academic and technical subjects which align with growing local industries, like green energy or digital.

The scheme enabled MBacc students to choose from seven gateways, developed in collaboration with local employers, including construction, technology, education, health and culture and sport.

In other news, the Labour party’s Deputy Leader, Lucy Powell, has been appointed as Education Secretary, replacing Bridget Phillipson, in a government reshuffle by the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham.