The hurdles to Burnham’s education shake-up plan – and how it will work

Schools will offer pupils technical subjects from the age of 14 in an effort to cut youth unemployment, under Andy Burnham’s proposed education shake-up. Under the plan, vocational pathways will be put on an equal footing with traditional academic routes, with the Prime Minister saying he wants there to be “no dead ends” for young people leaving school. Pupils will be able to combine core academic subjects, such as English and maths, with technical ones like manufacturing and AI – subjects linked to the jobs available in their area. Shorts However, few details have been revealed about the plan, and there are concerns that a lack of funding and resources could impact its rollout. What we know about the plan for technical education The new technical pathways will pair skills training with work experience, and connect young people with local employers. They are expected to be rolled out from September 2028. The regulator, Ofsted, will change the way it inspects schools and measures performance, ensuring recognition for schools that provide high quality technical education and support young people to develop the skills and experience wanted by employers. Regional mayors, local leaders, schools, colleges and employers will work together to create the technical pathways, which the Government said can be tailored around local industries and growth sectors. These could include advanced manufacturing, AI, digital and technology, clean energy, life sciences, construction, healthcare or the creative industries. How the policy worked in Manchester: a slow rollout Burnham’s reforms are said to be building on the Greater Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc), an initiative he pioneered while mayor which is a technical education alternative to the academic English Baccalaureate (EBacc). The MBacc was announced in 2023 and introduced in 2024/25. It combined specific GCSE choices with work experiences and technical training. The qualification aligns subjects with seven key growth sectors in the regional economy: construction and the green economy; creative, culture and sport; digital and technology; education and early years; financial, business and professional services; health and social care; and manufacturing and engineering. From the age of 14 students select subjects tailored to their chosen industry gateway alongside maths, English and science. At 16, they move into vocational options such as apprenticeships, T Levels or specialised technical qualifications. At 18, they transition into skilled employment in these subjects, higher technical qualifications or degree apprenticeships. In Greater Manchester, only 40 per cent of schools are delivering the MBacc so far, with plans for a rollout across all schools in the region by 2030. This indicates that a national rollout of the policy could also take years to implement, with some pupils potentially waiting beyond 2028 for a technical education to be available to them. Where will the funding come from and how will teachers be trained? So far, no new funding has been announced for the policy, sparking concerns from teaching unions. The Government said it “will prioritise funding towards high-quality technical education and practical routes into work” but did not give any further details. Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said the proposals “will hit the skids unless there is sufficient investment in schools”. “Where will the teachers, lecturers and physical infrastructure to support these new routes come from without proper funding?” In Manchester, the mayoral authority created a toolkit that “provides classroom-ready resources for all subject teachers”, including “up-to-date labour market information, real-life job examples within the gateways, and supporting activities”. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders union, said the announcement “sets out a direction of travel rather than detailed proposals, and schools will need much greater clarity about what it means in practice and over funding”. He said it was important that reforms are “realistic about schools’ capacity to build employer partnerships and secure meaningful work experience opportunities”. Concerns about ‘closing doors’ to young people Kebede said broader education options for students are in principle a positive step. However if the Government’s plans “close doors for young people by narrowing their options at 14 this may place limits on their future opportunities” and “disproportionately hit the most disadvantaged”. Munira Wilson, the Liberal Democrats’ education spokesperson, said the plan “must come in with built-in safeguards to allow young people the flexibility to retrospectively change direction and move between ‘academic’ and ‘technical’”. Although such a scheme has been workable in Greater Manchester, questions remain about how well it would work in rural areas or places where there may be fewer relevant jobs. Lack of jobs Some have pointed out that other policy measures have affected the availability of jobs for young people, which could impact the success of the technical pathways plan. Businesses have said Andy Burnham’s predecessor, Sir Keir Starmer, made it more expensive to hire workers by raising employer national insurance contributions and the minimum wage. Laura Trott, the shadow education secretary, claimed: “Labour’s policies are driving youth unemployment to record highs. “They are making it too expensive to hire young people, and destroying jobs with their jobs tax and employer red tape.” The Confederation of Business Industry, a trade body, said changes intended to boost employees’ rights, which took effect last December, would add further costs and increase the risks of taking on new workers, especially those with more complex or missing employment backgrounds. The number of job vacancies has fallen to its lowest level for five years, according to the Office for National Statistics.