Vocational Qualifications Day
Debate between Roger Gale and Neil Carmichael(8 years, 11 months ago)
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Neil Carmichael (Stroud) (Con)
I beg to move,
That this House has considered annual Vocational Qualifications Day.
It is a great pleasure to serve under—
Sir Roger Gale (in the Chair)
Order. It says here that I have to say something. The Question is that this House has considered annual Vocational Qualifications Day.
Neil Carmichael
We are operating a new system, so there is some confusion, not just on my part but obviously elsewhere.
Neil Carmichael
It is great to have such a free and frank Chairman for this occasion. Thank you, Sir Roger. It is a great pleasure to serve under your chairmanship.
Vocational Qualifications Day is critical, because it celebrates the success of young people. However, we need to do that not just annually but throughout the year, because it is that success that young people, our society and our economy need. It is worth emphasising that vocational qualifications are something that we should celebrate for everyone, at every level. That is one essential underpinning of the speech that I shall make and, I hope, the debate that we will have.
The second point, of course, is that we want to see equal value between vocational qualifications and academic qualifications. That is an essential part of the whole debate about our education system and the way in which our young people and everyone else, including those who go into new careers at the tail end of their working lives, want to experience it. This is the eighth year for Vocational Qualifications Day. That demonstrates continuity and success, and underlines our very strong feeling about the subject.
We have to promote several key messages. First, we need to raise the status of technical, practical and vocational learning. We have to ensure that people see that as a direction of travel for their careers, aspirations and hopes. Secondly, we need to demonstrate and celebrate the fact that everyone, of all ages, both genders and wherever they come from, can be part of the vocational qualifications world. Of course, we also want to ensure that there is a sense of parity between vocational studies and academic studies. Parity is important because that leads to esteem that is equal and benefits everyone.
Sir Roger Gale (in the Chair)
Order. I know that the hon. Member for Huddersfield (Mr Sheerman) is a new Member, but he really ought to be aware of the procedure by now, if only for the benefit of the Hansard writer.
Neil Carmichael
The hon. Gentleman has made a lot of interventions, so I recognise—