Vocational training should happen in the workplace, not classroom | Letter

2026-03-20 - 17:39

In-service training is best for the workforce and industry, writes Alan Ackroyd The government is taking the wrong approach by teaching vocational qualifications in the classroom (Editorial, 15 March). Vocational training should take place primarily in the workplace and employers should be forced to include relevant training and qualification packages for all staff. I have had two different experiences of this. When I first left school I entered an apprenticeship in my local printing firm. They made me competent in what they did but refused to allow me to take a day-release course (that I had arranged for myself) for fear that it would lead to my leaving the company. I left the industry for tertiary education. Continue reading...