Overcoming vocational prejudice: how can skills competitions improve the attractiveness of vocational education and training in the UK?

• Published in: British educational research journal Vol. 42; no. 4; pp. 582 - 599
• Main Authors: Chankseliani, Maia, James Relly, Susan, Laczik, Andrea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-08-2016; John Wiley & Sons Ltd; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Academic Education; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; attractiveness; Competition; Education; Educational Attitudes; Educational Policy; Educational Strategies; Excellence in Education; Foreign Countries; Interpersonal Relationship; Occupations; Prejudice; Role; skills competitions; skills competitions; WorldSkills; Social Development; Systems Approach; United Kingdom; Vocational Education; vocational education and training; Vocational Interests; vocational/academic divide; WorldSkills; United Kingdom; United Kingdom > UK
• ISSN: 0141-1926; 1469-3518
• DOI: 10.1002/berj.3218

Raising the attractiveness of vocational education and training (VET) has been on the UK as well as the European agenda for some time, primarily for economic and social development reasons. However, little is known about the role of skills competitions in improving the attractiveness of VET. This study uses data from 110 interviews with WorldSkills competitors and their associates to examine the potential contributions of skills competitions to revitalise VET in the UK. Adopting the enhancement strategy we propose that the experiences of young people who have been internationally recognised for excellence in their respective vocations are inspiring for others. Such experiences have the potential to refocus the attention from a deficit model of VET to the level of excellence that can be achieved through competitions. However, the enhancement strategy in and of itself is not enough to raise the attractiveness of VET. To do so requires consistent policy efforts oriented on spreading excellence throughout the entire VET sector. The ultimate disruption of the policy cycle that perpetuates the existing vocational/academic divide may be achieved through a systemic approach that builds upon the examples of vocational excellence.