Raising the Esteem of Vocational Education and Training (VET) from Age 14

A strong post-16 education system needs credible pathways for young people with different interests, strengths and aspirations. High-quality vocational education and training (VET) can support engagement in education, provide occupationally relevant skills and facilitate transitions into skilled employment or further study. Having a full suite of strong, well-regarded post-16 pathways is important for reducing the risk of young people becoming not in education, employment or training (NEET). The recent Milburn Review underlines the urgency of this challenge. It finds that nearly one million young people aged 16-24 are not in education, employment or training and argues that the institutions intended to support the transition from education to work are failing to operate as a coherent system (Milburn, 2026). However, around the world, vocational education tends to be held in lower regard to its academic counterpart (e.g., Sim, 2024; UNESCO-UNEVOC, 2018; Wang, 2021). This is despite a growing recognition that vocational education can often deliver equivalent or better labour market returns in modern economies than purely academic education (Dahl et al., 2023; Kreisman and Stange, 2020; LaForest, 2023).While these perceptions partially reflect underlying differences in quality in some places, there is broad acknowledgement that there are socially constructed negative attitudes unrelated to the objective quality of VET (Ackehurst et al., 2022). That is, VET is stigmatised across many societies (Ackehurst et al., 2022; Aldossari, 2020; Chankseliani et al., 2016). This is a salient issue in the UK, where ``parity of esteem'' between vocational and academic education has become an enduring policy goal. The esteem of vocational pathways matters because perceptions shape choices. Students and families consider what qualifications signal about ability, status and future opportunities. Teachers and careers advisers influence who is encouraged towards different routes. Employers decide whether qualifications certify useful skills, while universities determine which qualifications provide access to desirable courses. Negative attitudes towards VET could be driving students to take courses or pathways that are not best suited to their aspirations, abilities and needs. Stigma may also affect students after they enter a vocational route. In Flanders, around one fifth of students in technical and vocational tracks reported that others looked down on them because of their studies, and this perceived contempt was strongly associated with feelings of futility even after accounting for ability and social background (Spruyt et al., 2015). VET stigma is also likely contributing to skills shortages in technical and vocational areas, hindering economic growth and productivity. This briefing focuses primarily on school- and college-based vocational and technical education for young people aged 14-18. Apprenticeships form an important part of the wider technical education system, but differ from the programmes considered here because they combine employment with formal training and are most commonly entered after compulsory schooling (DfE, 2026). They are therefore discussed principally as a progression destination and as the work-based counterpart to classroom-based technical routes, rather than as a central focus of the briefing.