Liberal Democrat education spokesman Phil Willis said ministers had "abandoned the fundamental principle" of making academic and vocational qualifications of equal value.

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It reflects the contemporary intellectual preference in higher education for integrating the theory and practice of a discipline, and for reducing the divisions between vocational and academic qualifications.

ECONOMIST: Education: Degrees of choice | The

According to Alison Wolf, an academic who is writing a book about vocational education and training, one reason is that some vocational qualifications do no more than certify skills that employees already have they are gained just to satisfy regulatory requirements.

ECONOMIST: Skills