В Шотландии растет спрос на профессиональное образование на фоне кризиса финансирования вузов

New polling data suggests a growing appreciation for vocational skills that could alter the landscape in each sector as Scotland’s colleges and universities face uncertain futures amid their respective funding models According to a recent YouGov poll commissioned by Colleges Scotland, nearly six in ten respondents (58%) think too much value is currently placed on academic education and not enough on vocational and technical pathways. This was supported by 55% of respondents who felt that schools and advisors favour academic qualifications compared to only 3% feeling they favoured vocational and technical qualifications. The poll also showed strong support for apprenticeships, with 77% of respondents saying there are too few people entering apprenticeships and 57% saying the government should prioritise apprenticeships over university and college routes. The polling also showed a divide in how respondents view the career outlooks of university and vocational or technical education. When asked which route offers better career opportunities, 41% chose the vocational route, 35% said they offer about the same, and 13% opted for the university route. The responses reflect similar attitudes that have been published in other recent reports, such as Allan Millburn’s interim report on Young people and work, which referenced evidence that “vocational training, apprenticeships and other kinds of work-based learning” can be effective for getting young people into work, particularly those who face other societal barriers. Skills shortages in the construction, manufacturing, social care, and other sectors are challenging the “primacy of higher education”, the report states, and the UK Government is introducing new measures to introduce vocational and skills education to children much earlier in their school careers. Commenting on the polling results, Gavin Donoghue, CEO of Colleges Scotland, said: “The message from the public is clear – they want to see more people have the opportunity to experience vocational education and apprenticeships, and for these routes to be valued just as highly as traditional academic qualifications. “Scotland’s colleges are the cornerstone of our vocational education system and provide over 14,000 Modern Apprenticeships each year – giving people the skills they need to adapt to a rapidly changing economy. Colleges are also valuable community anchors, empowering people of all ages and backgrounds to learn and secure good jobs and rewarding careers.” Read More: - Sir Anton Muscatelli: Universities have ‘run out of runway’ on funding - The £200m hole at the heart of Scotland's university system - what happens next? - The small title change that could reshape Scotland's colleges and universities The divide between vocational and academic qualifications does not map neatly onto the college and university sectors, despite the tendency in public debate to place vocational training under college jurisdiction and academic pathways under the university umbrella. This was a line of conversation during a panel discussion at the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics, in which Mr Donoghue explained how colleges currently deliver 12% of all higher education in Scotland. There is also a growing trend of offering qualifications to pupils, with staff at local authority and individual schools taking opportunities to provide young people with options that can introduce them to vocational and academic pathways earlier in their educational careers. Similarly, Claire McPherson, director of Universities Scotland, pointed out the extent to which Scotland’s universities are directly involved in apprenticeships and other qualifications that would fall squarely in the vocational category. In a blog post responding to the YouGov poll, she expressed concern that the results would not be understood as endorsement of what universities are offering. “Universities are not an alternative to technical and vocational education,” she wrote. “For a huge share of Scotland’s most economically and socially important professions, they are technical and vocational education.” It can be tempting to divide skills and academic education between colleges and universities, she wrote, but that misrepresents the reality. “Colleges and universities perform different roles, but they are part of the same skills ecosystem. “Thousands of students move from college into degree study through articulation routes every year, often entering directly into the second or third year of a programme. In many disciplines, colleges and universities are not competing providers but different stages of the same learner journey.” The debates over the identities and responsibilities of each sector, or, in some circles, whether colleges and universities should actually be considered part of a single post-school or tertiary system, are becoming more than theoretical. This week saw the release of a landmark report co-owned by the Scottish Government and Universities Scotland. In it, sector experts led by Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli analysed the financial landscape and found that Scotland’s universities face a £200 million gap between income and the funding needed to sustain their current size and shape. This is the first report from the Future Framework for the Sustainability and Success of Scotland’s Universities project, which will eventually look to propose evidence-based options for a new sector framework. A similar project is underway to examine the sustainability of Scotland’s colleges, and questions of identity, offering, interconnectedness, and funding will be key aspects of any future recommendations.