LONDON, July 8 (Xinhua) -- A shake-up in the way vocational subjects are badged has been unveiled Monday in Britain in a new drive to attract more people to study for subjects such as computer programming and engineering.
Education Secretary Damian Hinds announced he also wants more recruits for diploma studies to train as electricians and technicians in fields from advanced manufacturing to healthcare.
The calls come after new research reveals that people qualifying with diploma qualifications in Britain can earn more than 6,200 U.S. dollars a year than graduates who leave universities with degrees.
Boris Johnson, front-runner to be Britain's next prime minister, said at the weekend that if he wins the current leadership contest, he will make sure technical and vocational education is properly funded.
"There are far too many young people who leave university with huge debts, and no clear sense of how their academic qualification has helped their career. It is also true that we have a desperate shortage in this country of people with the right skills. We have a mismatch: unsatisfied university graduates, and unsatisfied employers," said Johnson.
The Department of Education said even though qualifications from colleges can lead to better wages, just one-in-10 adults hold technical qualifications, one of the lowest rates within the 36-members of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has predicted that in 5 years' time almost half (47 percent) of all employment will be in management, professional and technical roles - boosting demand for the specialist skills that Higher Technical Qualifications provide.
CBI chief UK policy director Matthew Fell said: "There is increasing demand from business for skills at all levels, so it's vital the education system keeps pace with the changing world of work."
Lord Sainsbury of Turville, chair of the Independent Panel on Technical Education, said: "Higher technical qualifications play an essential role in equipping people with the skills that modern industry and business need. In England, however, this 'missing middle' of technical education has been neglected for decades. As a result, we now see a significant mismatch between the skills that our economy needs and the qualifications on offer."
