Ann Watson (pictured), CEO of Semta, said: “This is music to our ears. Semta has been campaigning for many years to end the damaging snobbery which corrodes our economy. Academics and ill-informed parents are doing this country and the students in their charge, a great disservice.
"Unfortunately, ill-informed teachers and parents with out-of-date perceptions of apprenticeships have been limiting the career options of the young people in their charge. I applaud any measures that will ensure our young people are properly briefed about the life choices open to them.”
The new law ensuring that state schools promote apprenticeships as much as university education will be introduced this year.
Nicky Morgan, the Secretary of State for Education, will legislate to ensure that technical colleges and companies providing apprenticeships get into schools to give careers advice to pupils. The new law is designed to end the perception that non-academic routes are second best.
