Could Creative Selection Produce Better Employees for 21st Century Jobs?

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So what is the best way to pull out the horses amongst the donkeys?

With the A-level results out, it is that time of the year again where hundreds of students await news of their admissions. One of the ways to overcome the annual A-level admissions dilemma would be to go for a more creative selection procedure. The additional test procedure falls short of distinguishing the creative and qualified students from the rest.

For example, the university admission boards would be able to assess a student on the basis of additional evidence like special projects or related work experience. This, it would seem, is the best way to determine a student’s suitability for higher or further education.

Vocational Diploma for the Future?

On the other hand, an additional test burden may cause some students to lose interest in the subject, which, in turn, could possibly affect their performance levels. However, this still remains a short-term solution. Perhaps a more effective solution, as was recommended by the Tomlinson Report and was summarily rejected by the Government, would be the overarching diploma model.

As a future objective, the Association of Colleges (AoC) wants the government to pay similar attention to the new vocational diploma. According to AoC Learning and Quality Director, Maggie Scott, “only one third of 16 to 18-year-olds study A-levels. The hundreds of thousands of students achieving vocational qualifications at this time of the year have had to bear the brunt of the annual “grade inflation” debate.” Scott feels that this can only change if the government develops the new vocational diplomas just as strong a brand as A-levels and GCSE’s with its adequate attention and resources.

Aakriti Kaushik

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