Career Colleges and Vocational Schools in The United Kingdom
Beaming White 1 Day Laser Teeth Whitening Course
Bellerbys College
Cambridge International College
Centre Academy London
Chef Academy of London
CITI Limited
Coleg Llysfasi
Cornwall College
Gloucestershire College
London Language and Drama School, STAR TEK associates
London School of Business and Finance
The TEFL Academy
Wallace College, Edinburgh Scotland
Westminster College London
Career Colleges and Vocational Schools in The United Kingdom by City:
BrightonCheltenhamEdinburghHarrowLeovilleLlysfasiLondonLoughboroughManchesterNewport PagnellOxfordSt AndrewsSt AustellAbout Career Colleges and Vocational Schools in The United Kingdom
The United Kingdom, which includes England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, has a number of policies and programs in place aimed at providing vocational education and training (VET) for both young people and adults, training that will help these individuals learn a trade and thus find gainful employment. Low productivity and inadequate training in the United Kingdom, spurred the government in 1997 to develop a strategy focused on both raising the standards for vocational education and training and increasing inclusion.
Goals of Vocational Education and Training in the United Kingdom
The strategies for improving vocational education and training were developed with a number of goals and objectives in mind, many of which have now been met thank to the tireless work of the professionals who put these programs into place. Some of these goals and objectives included:
- Goal 1: By the age of 19, all young people should be ready for skilled employment or higher education.
- Objective 1: By 2008, sixty percent of those aged 16 should receive the equivalent of five GCSEs at grade A to C.
- Objective 2: Increase the proportion of 19 year olds who achieve at least level 2 by five percentage points by 2008, and increase the proportion of young people who achieve level 3 and 4.
- Objective 3: reduce the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training by two percentage points by 2010.
- Goal 2: Tackle the adult skills gap: increase the number of adults with the skills required for employability and progression to higher levels of training.
- Objective 1: Improve the basic skills levels of 2.25 million adults by 2010.
- Objective 2: reduce by 40 % the number of adults in the workforce lacking level 2 qualifications by 2010. One million adults in the workforce to achieve level 2 by 2006.
Vocational Education and Training in the United Kingdom Today
Vocational education and training in the United Kingdom now begins in lower secondary school, with vocational General Certificates of Secondary Education (GCSEs) available in eight subject areas, including Applied Art and Design, IT education, Business, Manufacturing, Engineering, Leisure and Tourism and Health/Social Care. Other courses are currently under development and should be available shortly. Students between the ages of 14 and 16 can also now participate in young apprenticeships, in which they shadow workers as a way to give them a clearer picture of the day-to-day work that is required in a given career industry.
Vocational Education and training in the UK continues at the upper secondary level, with programs available in the same eight programs offered at the lower secondary school level. The goal of upper secondary vocational training is threefold. Upon completing compulsory secondary education, the next main routes for young people are:
- To continue in full-time education in a school or college;
- To move on to a work-based training program, usually an apprenticeship; or
- To start work by becoming employed full-time or part-time or doing voluntary work.
Additional apprenticeships, internships and trade-based training are available to adult students over the age of 18. These come in the form of career colleges, vocational schools, and technical institutes, offering programs such as computer science, programming, data base management and management information systems.