Matt Johnson: Headline-grabbing gimmick - or well-researched solution?

Jan 30 2008 by Matt Johnson, Liverpool Daily Post

I'M SURE I wasn't the only person to stare in disbelief at my radio on Monday morning, after hearing an item about McDonald’s being able to serve up A-Levels.

Why was I surprised?

Well, for starters, education, training and skills development is such a crucial part of our economic development that it should surely command more than what sounded like another back of the envelope policy from our troubled government.

Secondly, while McDonald’s is certainly a global brand and a successful business, it's not a firm routinely associated with fulfilling the education requirements of the countries and societies in which it trades. But here we were being told McDonald’s has won Whitehall approval to offer courses which could form part of qualifications at the standard of A-Levels or advanced Diplomas.

The fast-food giant, airline Flybe and Network Rail are the first firms to be approved to offer the Level 3 courses. It means students could combine units from in-house courses with others to obtain the new Diplomas which combine practical and theoretical learning.

As a new strategy, some may see it at odds with concerns currently and widely expressed about overall educational standards and levels of attainment and achievement.

Leaders from pretty well every sector of business have questioned the appropriateness and effectiveness of how well our young people are being prepared for the world of work. It's these discussions that invariably lead to what are often searching questions about how well our schools, colleges and universities are performing, whether standards are slipping or whether examinations are getting easier.

So, how does linking up with a burger chain, an airline and the railway industry address these concerns?

To be fair to the Government, it's way too early to say.

But I am sure I am not alone in my initial reaction that this was another headline-grabbing gimmick rather than a well-researched solution to a problem that shows no sign of going away.

From an employer’s point of view, the critical thing is going to be to see how rigorous the process to obtain these Diplomas is going to be. Are youngsters going to face a demanding academic assault course for their A-Level takeaway?

Last week, it was reported that some of our universities have concerns over the quality of the examinations and assessment students must take to gain these new Diplomas. It's not likely that a deal with McDonald’s, Flybe or Network Rail is going to allay these fears.

The only way to do that is for those delivering the new system, and those participating in it to demonstrate its real value with robust results.

MATT JOHNSON is chairman of Mando Group