Debate contribution: Supporting Learning Pathways for our Young People

Debate contribution by Mrs Michelle Guy on 4 February 2025.

MLA

Mrs Michelle Guy

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

4 February 2025

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Supporting Learning Pathways for our Young People

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4779544

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I beg to move amendment No 2:

I thank the Members who tabled the motion. We have tabled an amendment that broadens the motion's scope and acknowledges that this is another issue that requires Departments to work closely together. This should be an energising debate that focuses on giving young people the best opportunities that we can. We have the chance to do something transformational with learner pathways for our young people. Whilst I appreciate that the scale of transformation needed is unlikely to be completed in this mandate, the Education Minister and the Economy Minister have the chance to set us on that path. That requires vision and action. The independent review of education made clear recommendations that outlined what that vision could be. It said:

"Every post-primary school should offer a broad range of academic and pre-vocational options and should collaborate with other schools and with colleges"

in order to provide a wide range of choices. Some schools already do that, but if done at scale, it would be transformational: it would broaden the experience of all students to ensure that young people could make better-informed decisions on their future post 16 or post 18. The aspiration is to give our young people an awareness of and the option to follow academic, vocational or technical pathways or a mixture of pathways. The motion references children and young people in general terms, but we should ensure that we acknowledge the specific needs of and challenges faced by young people with special educational needs (SEN). The cliff edge faced by young people with SEN post 19 is one aspect that requires urgent provision. The reforms needed would be challenging to deliver. They would mean changing the funding formula that results in colleges and schools competing for students, not through any fault on their part, I should add, but simply because they operate in a system that embeds that. It would require coordination, collaboration and a serious review of workforce needs but would go a long way to achieving parity of esteem between academic and vocational pathways, which has been spoken about for decades but is still very much lacking in our society, unlike in countries such as Switzerland or Germany. The world has moved on. Our economy has changed, and employers' needs are different. The academic route will remain the right choice for many and essential for particular roles, but we all know that an academic qualification today in no way guarantees the job or career that someone wants. We need always to reiterate to our young people that a learning pathway that enables them to make a valuable contribution to society and allows them to pursue a life that they want is far more important than where that learning took place. In this changing world, learning will continue throughout life. Those who responded in the aftermath of the storm last week and continue to do so are a perfect example of that: skilled professionals, some with academic qualifications and others having gone through traineeships and apprenticeships, working in essential roles, without whom the lights would not be on, our water supply would still be off and our roads would be blocked. To see that transformation, we need action. Although many of the changes that we need were in the 14-19 framework that was published in 2022, little has happened. Take reforming careers advice, or even just one aspect of that: a careers portal. I found a recommendation that dated back to 2013. Twelve years later, from what I understand, the Department is still only scoping what that would look like. I reiterate our appreciation to those who tabled the motion for giving us an opportunity to speak on the issue. I will highlight a few matters and would appreciate it if the Education Minister would consider them in his response. Is he considering changing the funding formula? Through the curriculum review work, will he make bold changes to ensure that our young people get a greater variety of choice and opportunity? How is he working alongside the Economy Minister so that our schools and colleges work in partnership?

689 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:52 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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