The government wants pupils to take subjects like AI and manufacturing which are linked to local jobs.

Children should be given a clearer pathway into work from the age of 14, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said as he unveils reforms that will allow pupils in England to study subjects like manufacturing and AI alongside core academic learning. The government said the courses, available from Year 10, would be linked to local jobs and industries. Data published earlier this year showed more than one million young people across the UK were not in education, employment or training, or "Neet" - the highest level in more than 12 years. While the government is describing it as a "fundamental change to the education system", there are few details behind the broad political vision. The Association of School and College Leaders, which speaks for many secondary headteachers, said they welcomed the ambition of preventing young people falling out of education or work at 16. With schools already asked to manage on tight budgets and support radical reforms to special educational needs, the union also said there was an issue of capacity. Burnham said that "for too long" students had been told to take academic subjects to "do well and be respected". "My message to young people is this - whether you choose construction, coding or classics, or maths, manufacturing or mechanics, you'll get the skills you need and be given the respect you deserve," he said.