REDDITCH MP Chris Bloore has called for a stronger, place-based approach to skills, apprenticeships and vocational education to improve outcomes for disadvantaged boys and young men, during a Westminster Hall debate on educational attainment.
Speaking in the ‘Educational Outcomes: Disadvantaged Boys and Young Men’ debate, the MP highlighted Redditch’s proud industrial heritage in needle making, aerospace and engineering, arguing education and skills policy must better connect young people with real employment opportunities in their local area.
Mr Bloore warned too many boys in Redditch were leaving school without a clear vocational pathway into stable, well-paid work and urged ministers to ensure national industrial and skills strategies reflected the needs of towns like Redditch through closer links between employers, further education colleges and trade unions.
The debate heard evidence from the organisation Boys’ Impact showing significant attainment gaps linked to disadvantage.
Research cited found only around 30 per cent of boys on average were making a good level of progress in early years settings, compared with 88 per cent of girls not eligible for free school meals.
At GCSE level, disadvantaged boys eligible for free school meals achieve grades 5 to 9 in English and maths – around half the rate of those not eligible.
Mr Bloore said: “Redditch was a town built on skilled, unionised industries – from needle making to aerospace and engineering – and that heritage still matters today.
“Too many boys now leave school without a clear route into decent, rewarding jobs.
“We need education and skills strategies that are genuinely place-based, with proper funding for apprenticeships, strong partnerships between local employers and colleges and meaningful involvement from trade unions.
“When we get that right, education can lead directly to opportunity, not uncertainty.”
Hitchin MP Alistair Strathern, who led the debate, welcomed Mr Bloore’s intervention and described the steps he highlighted as ‘fundamental’ to tackling the challenges facing disadvantaged boys and young men across the country.
