Manufacturing Biz #6 - Magazine - Page 3
“Childhood boredom was
not an emergency; it was
an expectation. Silence
was not suspicious; it was
normal.”
About the Author
exacerbates those differences — or fails
to accommodate them. Meanwhile, the
labour market is shifting. Across the
U.K., there are shortages in construction,
engineering, electrical installation,
advanced manufacturing, green
technologies and digital infrastructure.
Skilled trades and technical professions
are not fallback options; they are
increasingly well-paid, respected and
future-proofed careers. In many cases,
they offer clearer income progression
than oversubscribed graduate pathways.
Here lies the paradox: at the very
moment vocational skills are becoming
economically critical, our educational
culture has become more academically
compressed. If we are serious about
supporting young people — particularly
those with SEND — we must rethink what
inclusion truly means. Inclusion cannot
simply be about additional classroom
support within an unchanged academic
structure. It must also involve structural
diversity in pathways.
A teenager who struggles to sit still for
six hours of theoretical instruction may
concentrate for hours wiring a circuit or
programming a CNC machine. A student
who resists essay writing may demonstrate
extraordinary spatial intelligence in
carpentry or robotics. These are not
deficits; they are differences in cognitive
profile. Reintroducing meaningful
vocational options earlier in secondary
education would not be a retreat from
standards. It would be an expansion of
them. It would recognise that intelligence
is plural, that talent is varied, and that
economic contribution does not flow solely
from academic attainment. It is also likely
to greatly impact more success rates in
GCSE qualification numbers.
Modern living may indeed be attacking
young minds — through constant
stimulation, social comparison and
reduced physical engagement with the
real world. Schools alone cannot solve that
cultural shift. But they can respond to it.
Supporting rising SEND needs and
rebuilding vocational opportunity are not
separate challenges. They are intertwined.
If we design an education system that
values multiple forms of ability, we do
not lower expectations. We widen the
definition of success — and, in doing so,
we may ease pressure on a generation that
feels increasingly misaligned with the path
laid before it.
The future economy will depend on skilled
hands as much as analytical minds. Our
education system must be bold enough to
nurture both.
Adrian Hawkins OBE was awarded
his honour by the Queen in the 2021
New Years Day Honours list for his
services to business and skills. A lifetime
businessman, Adrian Chairs biz4Biz a
business support organisation which he
founded 15 years ago to create a business
network initially in the Home Counties
and which is now reaching further
nationally. Adrian is also, Chairman of
Hertfordshire Futures (previously the
LEP) and the Hertfordshire Futures Skills
and Employment Board. Adrian is also
Chairman of the Stevenage Development
Board alongside biz4Biz. Adrian has 50
years’ experience in the world of business
and committed a £9 Million to 41 Welder
Training facilities resulting in 22,000
Welders at Level 1 being trained.
ADRIAN HAWKINS OBE
Chairman – biz4Biz
Chairman – Hertfordshire Futures
Board Chairman – Stevenage Development
Board Chairman – Hertfordshire Skills &
Employment Board
bIZ4BIZ.ORG
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