Activity 6: Trends in Education

Vocational Pathways and 21st C skills

“A debate exists in current literature about whether the world is facing a skills shortage or a mismatch of talent. “ (2014) MEGATRENDS

As a HOD of technology, I have watched educational policy revolve almost around in a full circle. Trades or using current parlance, vocations, were an important aspect of education in the 1970s and 1980s but then in the UK in the 1980s it was posited that society needed more academics and less trades people. A new curriculum created in 1990s which included a subject absorbing the trades into a design thinking curriculum and promote the idea of problem solving from a necessity based concept. New Zealand explored similar development and the underlying rationale appeared to be greater public accountability for schools. Trades or vocations were moved from schools to tertiary sectors as generic skills were taught in schools all of which were assessed by writing.

As a teacher from Wales, I experienced first-hand how political interference in Education contributed to the demise in learning outcomes. A fundamental lack of understanding of global megatrends and an over indulgence in nation building saw a significant dip in achievement.

“WE TOOK OUR EYE OFF THE BALL” ADMITS PENARTH’S WELSH LABOUR EDUCATION MINISTER

In New Zealand, the Youth Guarantee vocational pathways initiative has addressed the need for trades and skills within linking not only ITO accredited units to NCEA units.

Australia understands these needs developing a coherent strategy in relation to vocational education

“Australia’s standing in the global vocational education and training market The vocational education and training sector is at the frontline of Australia’s response to major global challenges.” (2011) VET

Why is New Zealand promoting vocational education?

In short - school to work. The philosophy behind the programme of education in NZ is to:

• motivate more students to stay engaged in learning and training by providing them with a greater number of options for study
• provide students with clear pathways post-school by giving them a head start on training for vocational qualifications and smooth access to employment
• improve the responsiveness of schools to business and economic needs.

At SEHC we have engaged with this concept by setting up a course in 2015 to work with Manukau Institute of Technology with their trades academy and our students have a trades options in year 11 onwards. 2016 see the beginnings of our Level 3 construction academy run in conjunction with MIT. Taught by a qualified builder and developed in partnership with Trenz Homes. 

Our Hospitality class also works with MIT at level 2 and level 3. ECE has links to MIT for their programme and ICT is working on a Business Administration and Technology course.

21st Century skills

Combined with these developments at our school has been the adoption of incorporating 21st C skills into learning design. Employers do not necessarily want people with degrees, STEM degrees are not in much demand either. However, New Zealand bucks this trend and is looking engineers especially in STEM subjects. The building of New Zealand infrastructure and dealing with the influx of migrants filling the shortage areas has led schools to incorporate the dimensions of new pedagogies to upskill the potential workforce to meaningfully engage with each and every opportunity they are presented with.

“A debate exists in current literature about whether the world is facing a skills shortage or a mismatch of talent. “ (2014) MEGATRENDS

In my opinion, both are true. In New Zealand, there is a skills shortage, we see it daily and I am here because of it. We also see schools delivering curricula that is creating the shortage in the first place. It is my belief education in NZ needs to be far more utilitarian and less ideological to pathway students into employment or create the creators of the future ready to pursue the next big idea that can help society develop, freely, fairly and responsibly, “one cannot solve a problem with the same consciousness that created it” Einstein cited by Amabile, T. M. (1998). - 21st CLD is a tool we use to address and confront current learning design, to challenge educators, to rethink and re-create.



References

Amabile, T. M. (1998). How to kill creativity. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Donovan, O. (2013). A slice of frozen PISA ~ Oggy Bloggy Ogwr. Oggybloggyogwr.com. Retrieved 4 March 2016, from http://www.oggybloggyogwr.com/2013/12/a-slice-of-frozen-pisa.html

(2011). Global Trends in VET (Vocational Education & Training). Retrieved March 4, 2016, from http://www.slideshare.net/ciscoanz/global-trends-in-vocational-education-training.

(2012). NCEE » New Zealand: School-to-Work Transition. Retrieved March 4, 2016, from http://www.ncee.org/programs-affiliates/center-on-international-education-benchmarking/top-performing-countries/new-zealand-overview/new-zealand-school-to-work-transition/.

(2013). Skill Shortage List Checker – Immigration New Zealand. Retrieved March 4, 2016, from http://skillshortages.immigration.govt.nz/.

(2013). Vocational Pathways » Youth Guarantee. Retrieved March 4, 2016, from http://youthguarantee.net.nz/vocational-pathways.

(2014). Pisa ranks Wales' education the worst in the UK - BBC News. Retrieved February 29, 2016, from http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-25196974.

(2014). Report: Megatrends - The future of international education ... Retrieved February 29, 2016, from https://www.britishcouncil.org/education/ihe/knowledge-centre/student-mobility/megatrends-future-international-education.

(2014). “WE TOOK OUR EYE OFF THE BALL” ADMITS PENARTH'S ... Retrieved March 4, 2016, from https://penarthnews.wordpress.com/2013/12/03/we-took-our-eye-off-the-ball-admits-penarths-welsh-labour-education-minister/.

(2015). Trades Academies | Education in New Zealand. Retrieved March 4, 2016, from http://www.education.govt.nz/ministry-of-education/specific-initiatives/trades-academies/.