On skills, British children have been let down too badly for too long

Travel around Britain, and the paradox of our labour market quickly becomes apparent. There are far too many young people out of work, yet employers complain that they can’t get the people they want. That is because, for too long, young people have been denied the experience that employers want. This is what’s known as the ‘skills crisis’ and is one of the greatest problems facing Britain today. It is a problem this government wants to solve. Yes, employment has risen to a record high under the coalition but we’re painfully aware that this is not an end in itself. We want British dole queues to shorten.

Look around the world, and other countries – like Japan, Germany and Korea – get it right. There, vocational education is highly valued because it is high quality. It is a serious option for all children, including the bright and technically-skilled. Young people will study hard if they think the qualification will make a serious difference to their chances in life.