Sensuality, Sustainability and Social Justice: Vocational Education in Changing Times

Creating and maintaining an effective system of vocational education is a major challenge for any country. In Britain, vocational education faces the extra challenge of having to fight against a prejudice that deems many valuable occupations “unskilled” or “low-skilled”. These disabling and dehumanizing labels reek of ignorance about the skills and knowledge required for these jobs, and they underpin the view that these types of jobs do not require any formative or continuing education and training. Britain boasts some of the best and most innovative vocational education in the world, but it struggles to maintain its commitment to high standards against the attempts by successive governments to emasculate it. Vocational education speaks to the creative potential within all human beings, to their sensuality, and to their need to take pride in work and everyday tasks. Done well, it will act as a catalyst for introducing the learner to a range of subjects that might not appear immediately relevant: from aesthetics to science, from social history to climate change. This lecture asks Britain to embrace vocational education and celebrate its importance for the individual and society.