Lets help the ‘forgotten 50%”’ who don’t go to uni
This past month has seen two major milestones passed for Hopwood Hall, the brilliant further education college in the heart of our town.
In a heartwarming event at Rochdale Town Hall, the college held a joyous graduation ceremony that included its first ever Open University graduates.
From video games development to sports coaching, from wildlife conservation to nursery worker training, it was great to see the talented youngsters and their families celebrate their achievements.
In an age when Artificial Intelligence grabs all the headlines and poses real risks as well as opportunities for society, it struck me that most of the graduates were heading for careers that really can’t be done by robots.
Whether it’s caring for toddlers or caring for wildlife, expressing your creativity through arts or engineering, their subjects are all about human qualities that we really as a country need more than ever – emotional intelligence, human connection, a spark of fun and flair.
I’m also delighted to see the impact that Hopwood students are having on Rochdale businesses – many of them have already started contributing to companies across the borough and beyond by working on live briefs as part of their studies.
And that’s why the second big milestone for Hopwood really matters too – the ‘topping out’ of its brand new building on its Rochdale campus.
Backed by millions of pounds of funding from this Labour government, It’s a real vote of confidence in our area’s young people, and a very visible embodiment of the ‘Rochdale revival’ that I’ve been pushing for ever since becoming your MP.
A proud partnership between the Department for Education, Rochdale council and the college itself, the new annexe will provide the very latest, state-of-the-art facilities for our students.
For any Rochdalians like me who are old enough to remember the original ‘Rochdale College’, its arts and FE students, the new building marks a new beginning that builds on its past while catering for subjects of the future.
Most importantly of all, the new Hopwood Hall symbolises the respect that should be shown to youngsters who want a vocational alternative to a traditional academic university.
I’m delighted that Andy Burnham has made this a top priority, focusing on new pathways from the age of 14 for those kids who really prefer a hands-on education that equips them for the world of work.
These are what I call the “forgotten fifty per cent” of the population who don’t want a traditional university route, who want to develop a skill or a trade, and who have been neglected for far too long in this country’s educational establishment.
I’m pleased that of all the announcements we made at our Labour conference in September, one of the most popular was the creation of new “vocational GCSEs” or VGCSEs, with courses such as construction, creative media production and child development.
That’s because time and again young people, parents and employers tell us they want schools to do more to help them understand and prepare for the jobs of the future.
University is great for those who want to go there, and we should ensure it is attractive and accessible to children of all backgrounds.
But those who prefer to carve out a different path in life, through apprenticeships, further education or other training, deserve just as much attention and government help.
As an education minister and as Rochdale’s MP, I’ll be making sure they’re never forgotten again.