England's first vocational-skills centre opens

England’s first vocational-skills centre opens

England’s first vocational-skills centre for 14-16 year olds has opened at Knowsley Community College in Merseyside. The £2.4 million centre,jointly funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), Connexions and Knowsley Council, offers young people workshops and facilities for courses from electronics to catering and hairdressing. Each option that is offered leads to a recognized qualification, such as a GCSE, a GNVQ or an equivalent.

The centre will be available to more than 2,000 pupils from 11 secondary schools across Knowsley. Sir George Sweeney, college principal, said: “Successful education is about engaging young people. It is key to harness their interest and develop their individual strengths. Our aim is to equip young people with real job skills.” The LSC’s chief executive, Mark Haysom, said: “The vocational centre is yet another example of an innovative partnership led by further-education colleges. The LSC is committed to injecting serious amounts of money into partnership ventures of this kind. This kind of innovation is helping us to deliver our vision of world-class buildings and world-class teaching for all.”