In my early days at Tes Scotland, I spent a lot of time speaking with pupils in primary and secondary schools across the country. These were small groups, often four or five pupils, talking without the presence of a teacher about all sorts of things, from their plans for the holidays to their views on Valentine’s Day. Often, however, we talked about their plans for the future, their dreams and aspirations.

What struck me, almost on a weekly basis, was the confidence with which children and young people of all ages threw around words such as “degree” and “apprenticeship”. What was also interesting, though, was that it was rarely both. Depending on the school I was in - and this became much more apparent the older the pupils - a language would be established whereby young people would either be talking about “going to college” or “getting their degree”.

I make no secret of believing that, too often, university is sold to young people as the outcome to aspire to, over and above FE. But I also think the reason that the language of aspiration for many young people doesn’t include college is down to the fact that they don’t hear people speaking about it.

I once heard of a school that had, until a few years ago, never invited its local college to a careers event - despite being so close that they practically shared a bus stop. How can you expect any young person to understand the full breadth of options available to them if school leaders “forget”? The young people I met in those schools years ago didn’t ignore colleges because they felt they weren’t right for them. No one had shown them around a college workshop or even talked about the routes FE could offer - many leading to a degree.

Working together

This is not about careers advice in the traditional sense. It isn’t about being handed a leaflet by a careers adviser or, more commonly, coming across colleges on a careers web portal. It seems to me that the answer should be forging real, proper links.

Seeing a college lecturer around the school, hearing from the principal at assembly or a careers fair, and speaking to parents and carers about the conversation they had with a college representative at parents’ evening would inevitably make FE institutions feel closer and increase their presence in the consciousness of pupils.

Colleges are trying - they all tell me they proactively approach schools and attend events. But they don’t yet reach all schools. Not even close. And their offers aren’t being taken up by all of the schools they approach. Why is it not a matter of course that every school invites the college, say, twice a year?

England now has legislation in place on this issue - the Baker Clause says schools have no choice but to open their doors. This is, of course, much more necessary in an education system in which schools, university technical colleges, sixth-form colleges and FE colleges are often in direct competition with each other for learners.

Scotland doesn’t need that. Surely no legislation should be required to help colleges and schools to work more closely together. It is much easier than that. Just pick up the phone. Or, next time you walk past your local school or college, just pop in. FE folk, in my experience, might be wielding scary tools, but they’re actually very friendly.