Imagine for a few moments that this country seriously wanted a world-class skills system. It’s difficult, I know, given the history of half-hearted and often misguided efforts made by governments over decades.

But who knows? In this topsy-turvy post-Brexit world, everyone is talking about the desperate shortage of home-grown workers in areas such as construction, manufacturing and health. Many realise that it isn’t a short-term problem.

Some solutions, like sustained investment in skills education, are fairly obvious. For goodness’ sake, Mr Hammond, give FE the money it needs to deliver top-quality technical education! We need a game-changer akin to John Major’s decision 20 years ago to invest National Lottery money in sports, now hailed as the root of our current Olympic success. (Not that I’m suggesting FE should rely on lottery money…)

Other solutions are less tangible. Most crucial of all is to tackle the culture that puts graduate jobs on a pedestal and disparages occupations that don’t require a university degree. This has become entrenched throughout society and the education sector, and is deeply damaging.

Culture shift

I’m not knocking the importance of degree-level education, but graduate jobs don’t exist in isolation. Graduates can function only because of those who work, almost invisibly, to construct and maintain the buildings they work in, feed them at lunchtime, and clean the offices and streets around them. “Of course,” I hear you say. “We know this.”

Many heads spend more time getting one pupil into Oxbridge than 10 into apprenticeships

Maybe we do, but we don’t talk about it loudly. School leaders get plaudits for being at the top of academic league tables and for the numbers of sixth-formers they get into university - but not for supporting decent, hard-working students into FE or an apprenticeship.

As we contemplate the new apprenticeship levy, it’s worth reflecting that, even if a secondary school helps many of its pupils into really good apprenticeships, they are unlikely to get any brownie points: no photos in the local press of cheering students, and barely a blip in Ofsted inspection reports and published league tables. Not surprisingly, many heads - especially in disadvantaged areas - spend more time getting one pupil into Oxbridge than 10 into apprenticeships, and shout about it 50 times louder when they succeed.

So poor funding, an education system that gives no incentives for institutions to pursue excellence in technical education and a culture that belittles half its workforce. If you were serious about having a world-class skills system, you’d tackle all three at once, and with the same vigour we’ve put into backing Team GB.

Andy Forbes is principal of the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London