The Smallpeice Trust welcomes the Government’s commitment to expanding access to technical education from the age of 14.
The announcement recognises something we’ve believed for more than 60 years: not every young person learns best through a purely academic route, and every young person deserves the chance to discover what excites them.
For many young people, practical experiences can be transformative. Whether it’s building a prototype, testing an idea, solving a real-world challenge or working as part of a team, hands-on learning helps bring classroom theory to life. It gives young people the opportunity to discover strengths they may never have realised they had, while building confidence and helping them imagine future careers.
Yet opportunities to learn through making, building and experimenting have gradually become less common in many schools.
This isn’t because teachers don’t recognise the value of practical learning. Schools continue to do an incredible job under increasing pressure. However, years of funding constraints, curriculum pressures, reduced access to specialist resources and limited time for professional development have made it more difficult to provide the hands-on experiences that can be so engaging and impactful for young people.
As a result, many schools increasingly rely on external organisations, employers and specialist partners to help bring practical STEM learning to life.
This is where organisations like Smallpeice continue to step in.
For more than six decades, we’ve worked alongside schools, industry partners, funders and universities to provide opportunities that complement classroom learning and help young people experience engineering, digital innovation and other key areas of STEM, beyond the curriculum. Through STEM Days, workshops, outreach activities and scholarships, we give young people the chance to create, explore, problem-solve and think differently about their futures.
We’ve seen first-hand the difference these experiences can make.
A single activity won’t change every young person’s future. But over the years we’ve met engineers, managers, senior business leaders and innovators who trace their first spark of interest back to a Smallpeice programme or scholarship. Those stories are a powerful reminder that when young people are given opportunities to discover their potential, the impact can last a lifetime.
That’s why we welcome the Government’s recognition that technical and practical learning matters.
Introducing technical education from age 14 gives young people more opportunities to engage with learning in ways that suit them. It helps challenge the outdated perception that technical and academic education are competing choices. The reality is that our future workforce will need both.
Perhaps most importantly, it has the potential to engage young people who might otherwise struggle to see the relevance of their education. For some students, learning becomes more meaningful when they can apply knowledge, solve problems and create something tangible. Giving those young people opportunities to succeed has benefits that extend far beyond educational outcomes alone.
However, opening the door is only the first step.
If we’re serious about developing the next generation of engineers, technicians, innovators and skilled professionals, we need a system that supports young people throughout their journey. Early exposure can spark curiosity, but sustained opportunities, guidance, mentoring and real-world experiences are what help transform curiosity into confidence and ambition.
That’s why long-term programmes matter. Through initiatives such as the Arkwright Engineering Scholarship, we’re able to support talented young people as they navigate key stages of their education. Alongside financial support, scholars gain mentoring, industry connections and valuable insight into engineering beyond the classroom.
Through employer engagement and real-world experiences, they begin to understand where their skills could take them. They gain confidence through meeting like-minded peers and see how the knowledge they’re developing in school can be applied to real challenges, new technologies and future careers.
Engineering itself faces a significant skills challenge. The UK needs more engineers, technicians and innovators to support growth across sectors such as clean energy, advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, healthcare and technology. But this conversation is about more than simply filling skills gaps.
The bigger opportunity is creating an education system that helps more young people discover what they’re capable of.
Imagine what could be achieved if every young person had access to high-quality practical learning. If more students left education feeling engaged, empowered and excited about their future. If more employers could connect with diverse talent earlier. If more young people could see a clear pathway between what they’re learning today and the careers of tomorrow.
That’s the scale of ambition we need.
The Government’s announcement is a welcome acknowledgement that practical and technical education deserves greater prominence within the education system. But creating lasting change will require investment, commitment and, most importantly, time.
No single organisation can achieve that alone.
Schools, employers, universities, policymakers and organisations like ours all have a role to play. Together, we can build a system that gives every young person the opportunity to explore their talents, experience the excitement of creating and solving problems, and develop the confidence to pursue ambitious futures.
Engineering is about turning ideas into reality by solving the problem in front of us.
The question now is: what more could the UK achieve if every young person had the opportunity to discover their potential through practical learning? We’ve seen the difference it can make for individuals. With the right collective effort, imagine the difference it could make for the country.
Without the support of valued partners and funders, we can’t continue our work to change young lives. Can you play your part? Get in touch to explore how we can work together to inspire tomorrow’s STEM leaders. Email partnerships@smallpeicetrust.org.uk