Can government reforms finally bridge the long-standing gap between academic and technical education in Britain?

"There is a need to really improve the careers provision across the country." – Dr Hilary Leevers, CEO, EngineeringUK

In this bonus episode of 'In conversation with...', hosted by Emma Leary, leading voices from parliament, youth advocacy, and engineering come together to tackle the critical challenges facing young people, employers, and the wider skills system.

In Conversation with episode 6 image Following on from our report, ‘Counting the cost: The UK’s Employability Skills Crisis’ which surveyed 908 employers and 1,014 18–24-year-olds and highlighted a widening skills gap - our panel debates whether technical pathways at age 14 can achieve true parity with academic routes.

The episode shines a spotlight on the 'missing middle' in work experience, careers guidance, and the barriers facing SMEs. Featuring questions from the City & Guilds Learner Panel, it highlights why building confidence, resilience, and workplace readiness is just as vital as formal qualifications.

Episode talking points

The Importance of Starting Early: Exploring whether introducing technical pathways at age 14 can create genuine parity of esteem with traditional academic routes.
The Work Experience Crisis: Addressing the "missing middle" in careers advice and work experience, and how to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in offering meaningful placements.
Beyond Academic Qualifications: Examining the barriers facing underrepresented groups—such as women in engineering—and why workplace readiness, confidence, and resilience matter just as much as formal certificates.

Whether you are an educator, employer, policy maker, or a learner shaping the future of work, this episode offers vital perspectives on reforming Britain's education and skills landscape.

Special thanks

A huge thank you to our esteemed guests for joining the discussion:

Jonathan Brash MP, Chair of the APPG on Further Education and Lifelong Learning
Baz Ramaiah, Policy Director at Youth Employment UK
Dr Hilary Leevers, Chief Executive of EngineeringUK
The City & Guilds Learner Panel, for providing fantastic questions from the next generation of professionals.

For more episodes from the series, click here.