... academic qualifications and the word vocational has been turned into a derogatory term (Wood, 2002). Why has this happened? The government has attempted to improve the Vocational Education and Training (VET) system but have always promoted the academic route as the one which should primarily be aimed for. During the late 1970s there was an increase in youth unemployment and by 1985 only 27 per cent of 16 year old school leavers were finding work (Sisson, 1994). The Youth Opportunities Programme (YOP) was introduced in 1978 by the Lady Thatcher's Conservative government to tackle youth unemployment. The scheme included work experience and short training courses, although it has been stated in Atkinson (1985, p. 29), that it provided 'little in the way of training'. By 1982 nearly half of school leavers went onto the programme and in essence this lead to its demise. The Manpower Service Commission (MSC) failed to keep ...

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