Preventing the use of residence-based criteria for admission and encouraging the entry of new schools would be warranted as recommended in the OECD Economic Survey of the United Kingdom 2011 (OECD, 2011a). The number of young people neither in education nor in employment or training (NEETs) has swelled during the recession and is among the highest in the OECD. The government’s commitment to raise the compulsory participation age to 17 in 2013 and 18 in 2015 will increase participation in education and training. What is most important, though, is that students are equipped with the adequate skills to enter the labour market. Available evidence suggests that some vocational training has a low or even negative impact on future returns (Machin and Vignoles, 2006), with the exception of some high-quality apprenticeships. Reducing the complexity of the system and the fragmentation of the programmes, while increasing the quality and the number of available positions, may enhance the attractiveness of vocational training, having a positive impact on labour market outcomes and productivity.