New technical education routes give Blackpool's young people a fair shot

From 2028, 14-year-olds will get early access to technical education alongside their GCSEs. This is great news for young people who don’t thrive in academic settings.

Right now, more than a million young people across the UK are not in education, employment or training. Blackpool has the highest risk of this anywhere in the North West, and the second highest in England. This generation cannot be left behind.

The reform lets Year 10 pupils combine core subjects like English and maths with technical training linked to jobs in their local area. It puts technical education on the same footing as academic routes, giving young people who want to work with their hands the same opportunity as those who want to go to university.

For Blackpool South, that means real routes into work: apprenticeships, skilled trades, and jobs close to home. These pathways build on the V Levels already coming for 16-year-olds next September.

With young apprentices from Blackpool and The Fylde College

Too many talented, ambitious young people here haven't had the support to get where they want to go. Getting them into good, well-paid work has to be a priority.

This reform is one part of a bigger package for families. From this September, three million children – 11 in an average primary class – start getting free school meals as the rollout reaches families on Universal Credit. With breakfast clubs and cheaper uniforms too, families could save up to £1,200 a year. Working parents could save up to £8,000 a year on childcare.

It's part of the Prime Minister's 'everyday fixes' — practical change to make life fairer for children and parents here in Blackpool South and right across the country.