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Can government reforms finally bridge the long-standing gap between academic and technical education in Britain?

In this bonus episode of "In Conversation With...", recorded at the Skills Hub during the Labour Party Conference and hosted by Emma Leary, leading voices from Parliament, youth advocacy and engineering explore the critical challenges facing young people, employers and the wider skills system.

The panel debates whether technical pathways at age 14 can create true parity with academic routes. Drawing on the Youth Voice Census, they spotlight a "missing middle" in work experience and careers advice, the barriers facing SMEs, and urgent demographic gaps like women in engineering. Closing with questions from the City & Guilds Learner Panel, the episode highlights that building confidence, resilience, and workplace readiness is just as vital as formal qualifications.

Episode talking points:

• The importance of starting early
• The work experience crisis
• Beyond academic qualifications

Whether you're an educator, employer, policy maker, or learner shaping the future of work, this episode is for you.

For further information about the material quoted in this episode visit:

• EUK Education
• Youth Voice Census
• Counting the cost: The UK’s Employability Skills Crisis

Special thanks to our guests Jonathan Brash MP (Chair of the APPG on Further Education and Lifelong Learning), Baz Ramaiah (Policy Director at Youth Employment UK), and Dr Hilary Leevers (Chief Executive of Engineering UK), alongside questions from the City & Guilds Learner Panel.

For more episodes from the series click here.