The Labour government announced sweeping education reforms on Monday 27 July, aiming to steer more young people towards "technical" education rather than university, with schooling shaped more closely around the needs of local employers. In this clip from the political podcast In The Room, former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara and ex-No 10 adviser Cleo Watson examine the announcement and explain why they believe it is not as straightforward as it first appears.

The discussion, hosted as part of the In The Room podcast series, unpacks the practical and political implications of shifting educational focus from university placement to vocational skills training and work experience. MacNamara and Watson raise concerns about the reforms, drawing on their respective backgrounds in government to question how the plans would work in practice. New episodes of In The Room are released twice weekly and available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.