A Cabinet minister has warned young people against relying on “safe and secure jobs” as Andy Burnham announced that children as young as 14 will gain access to technical education.

Pat McFadden, the work and pensions secretary, said changes to the education system were “more urgent” because artificial intelligence tools and other technologies are disrupting the jobs market.

McFadden told broadcasters that “general-purpose technology” would “both destroy jobs and create jobs”, adding that young people must think more carefully about skills and education if they want to secure their futures.

“Perhaps the assumptions about what was a safe and secure job in the past no longer apply today,” McFadden said.

“I think that gives new life to the traditional trades. It gives new life to some of the technical skills that we want to prize through the announcement that we’re making today.”

His comments followed an announcement by the Prime Minister that technical education would be expanded, with schools linked to local employers to give young people access to more focused skills training at an earlier age.

Schools to be linked to jobs

Burnham said he would make Ofsted, the schools regulator, monitor how schools prepare students for work. Inspectors will be required to consider the quality of technical education offered.

The new education system will also aim to connect schools with employers so that pupils aged 14, when GCSE studies begin, take technical skills classes more directly tied to job needs. Burnham said studies in areas ranging from “construction, coding or classics” would sit alongside core education in English, maths and science.

“I want an education system based on parity between academic and technical which gives all young people a clear path in life,” Burnham said.

“Britain will value the hard hat every bit as much as the graduation cap.”

Funding for the overhaul will come from the existing Department for Education budget. The announcement builds on Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to end Tony Blair’s target for half of young adults to enter higher education. Blair had instead set a new aim for two thirds of people under 25 to go to university or take apprenticeships.

Neets crisis in focus

Burnham has made tackling youth unemployment one of his top priorities after former health secretary Alan Milburn’s review warned that a crisis involving a million young people not in education, employment or training, or Neets, was costing the UK economy up to £125bn a year.

Burnham has also framed his education reforms around his drive to devolve power to regional leaders, drawing on a Manchester-based qualification that was praised by businesses and teachers when he was mayor.

Local councils will be able to shape curriculums around “industries that matter and are growing in their communities” under the new plans, according to government officials. That could mean 14-year-olds interested in AI studying towards a separate qualification that allows them to gain work experience and work on projects, giving the reforms a more direct link to local labour market needs.

Milburn said the proposed changes were “very welcome”, adding that he would still publish recommendations later this year on helping Neets find jobs and enter the world of work.

Business leaders also welcomed the reforms. Startup Coalition executive director Dom Hallas said support for young people to gain AI and tech skills would “make a huge difference to both their prospects going forward and the talent our startups can access to grow”.