Stories

Tue, 28 Jul 2026

Tue, 28 Jul 2026 Burnham says pupils in England need clearer pathway into work

The government wants pupils to take subjects like AI and manufacturing which are linked to local jobs.

* Prime Minister Andy Burnham wants to give children a clearer pathway into work from the age of 14, with new reforms allowing pupils in England to study subjects like manufacturing and AI alongside core academic learning.
* The government claims this will help tackle the UK's youth unemployment crisis, which saw over one million young people not in education, employment or training (Neet) earlier this year.
* Schools will be able to combine traditional subjects with high-quality technical education linked to local jobs, allowing pupils to gain real-world experience and skills.
* The reforms aim to provide more opportunities for young people and help them build successful working lives from the start.
* The changes are expected to be up and running in some areas by 2028, with Ofsted changing its measures of performance to include technical education.
* Education Secretary Lucy Powell said the announcement marked the "start of a real shared effort" between employers, businesses, mayors and councils to design an education system that connects young people to jobs and careers in their local area.