Scandal of 400,000 teenagers studying for ‘useless courses’

PasturesNew

But critics say many courses are not sufficiently rigorous, do not promote craftsmanship and cover worthless subjects.
Qualifications thought to be under threat include the Certificate in Personal Effectiveness, taken by 10,843 last year and the Certificate in Preparation for Working Life, taken by 29,689.
Last night, Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, said: “Many vocational courses are confidence tricks on youngsters that do nothing to help their employment prospects.
“They are Mickey Mouse courses that are a complete waste of time and a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/232254/Scandal-of-400-000-teenagers-studying-for-useless-courses-

tsimehC

It's not just vocational college courses, there are plenty of degrees in silly things too.

Loanranger

They're possibly modules to pad out a full time course in another subject. Happens everywhere these days.

Graham_Devon

“They are Mickey Mouse courses that are a complete waste of time and a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

They do make the unemployment figures look better though.

lemonjelly

Lets not tar it all with the same brush though. Vocational courses include those such as plumbing (remember not long ago we were arguing that there was a shortage), bricklaying, car mechanics courses and the like.

I work in a college, and there are courses which personally I look at wondering what the value is, and also how so many people can be doing them - for example, we run hairdressing courses which are always full & popular. Part of me wonders whether we really need so many hairdressers, but many of them will set up their own self employed business', as a mobile hairdresser or something.

Construction courses are all popular, and of course, we regularly debate the housing shortage. Someone needs to build the buildings we need.

Catchy headline with little substance imo.

lemonjelly

Graham_Devon wrote: »

“They are Mickey Mouse courses that are a complete waste of time and a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

They do make the unemployment figures look better though.

If the course is less than 16 hours a week, they are part time students & therefore get JSA or Income Support, so not necessarily.

No doubt some will argue we shouldn't be paying for these wasters to go to college. However, if they need new skills (say for example following a redundancy, owing to a significant economic downturn) how are they supposed to get these?

grimsalve

We used to call them "mickey mouse courses" when I was a student over 20 years ago, not really anything new... IMO, getting a degree in any subject indicates a certain aptitude for learning and intelligence level.

ILW

grimsalve wrote: »

We used to call them "mickey mouse courses" when I was a student over 20 years ago, not really anything new... IMO, getting a degree in any subject indicates a certain aptitude for learning and intelligence level.

Not much though if 50% of people are supposed to be getting them.

robin_banks

lemonjelly wrote: »

Lets not tar it all with the same brush though. Vocational courses include those such as plumbing (remember not long ago we were arguing that there was a shortage), bricklaying, car mechanics courses and the like.

I work in a college, and there are courses which personally I look at wondering what the value is, and also how so many people can be doing them - for example, we run hairdressing courses which are always full & popular. Part of me wonders whether we really need so many hairdressers, but many of them will set up their own self employed business', as a mobile hairdresser or something.

Construction courses are all popular, and of course, we regularly debate the housing shortage. Someone needs to build the buildings we need.

Catchy headline with little substance imo.

There's a seld employed crane driver drinks in a pub near where I work up to £400 a day is his rate, there's a shortage of hairdressers in Aus.....

ukcarper

lemonjelly wrote: »

Lets not tar it all with the same brush though. Vocational courses include those such as plumbing (remember not long ago we were arguing that there was a shortage), bricklaying, car mechanics courses and the like.

I work in a college, and there are courses which personally I look at wondering what the value is, and also how so many people can be doing them - for example, we run hairdressing courses which are always full & popular. Part of me wonders whether we really need so many hairdressers, but many of them will set up their own self employed business', as a mobile hairdresser or something.

Construction courses are all popular, and of course, we regularly debate the housing shortage. Someone needs to build the buildings we need.

Catchy headline with little substance imo.

How do the people doing the more useful courses fair when they have completed them? A young lad I know did a carpentry course but when it come to getting a work placement at the end of course he couldn’t like the majority on his course.

purch

t's not just vocational college courses, there are plenty of degrees in silly things too

If the course is less than 16 hours a week, they are part time students & therefore get JSA or Income Support, so not necessarily

“They are Mickey Mouse courses that are a complete waste of time and a waste of taxpayers’ money.”

They do make the unemployment figures look better though

I thought this article was about the courses offered to GCSE age students, ie. 14-16 year olds.

This one is anyway.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12622061

These are not just courses to keep kids off the dole. These are the courses being offered as alternatives to traditional academic GCSE subjects to kids it statutory education.

My 13yo (nearly 14) son has just had to make his choices for subjects a GCSE level for the next 2 years.

It is amazing that he could have chosen a course in Outdoor Pursuits which would have led to a BTEC equivalent to 4 GCSE's, or numerous other vocational type courses that would lead (they say) to the equivalent to GCSE's.

This is the problem that needs addressing. If 14 year olds can opt out of academic subjects this early, what hope will they have with a BTEC in Outdoor Pursuits earned by spending 2 years mountain biking and wind surfing ??