As a former lecturer in brickwork, City & Guilds practical examiner and senior training adviser with CITB, I must compliment Chris Blythe on his article in the November/December edition of CM.

The average drop out rates on higher education courses has exceeded 30%. Yet some fool suggests that 50% of young people should enter higher education. In my experience, young people have differing rates of mental, physical and emotional development. The qualities of leadership, management or, for that matter, the qualities required for problem solving, are not necessarily synonymous with the possession of the highest academic qualifications.

Human resource development demands that we place square pegs in square holes, rather than find ‘horses for courses’, which already happens in education to an alarming degree. We saw this years ago with the Certificate of Extended Education and the Certificate of Further Education, neither of which had any value in the job market.

Selection for higher education is clearly defined. Ought not additional resources be made available for those not proceeding to university?

Tom Wareing MCIOB

Source

Construction Manager