ED Miliband will today reveal Labour plans for a second 'gold standard' qualification that will focus on technical skills.

The new qualification would be called the Technical Baccalaureate or 'Tech Bacc' and would be be aimed at the 'forgotten 50 per cent' of young people who do not go to university.

In his speech to Labour's annual conference in Manchester, Mr Miliband will say: 'I want ours to be a country where kids aspire not just to go to Oxford and Cambridge but to excellent technical colleges and elite vocational institutions.'

Children will start working toward the Tech Bach aged 14, completing it at 18. English and maths would form a key part of the programme with pupils required to get the equivalent of a C grade GCSE.

They would also undertake work experience and move into a placement after study has finished. To facilitate this Mr Miliabnd will also announce plans to hand over the government's entire �1 billion apprenticeship budget to businesses.

This will allow the private sector to tailor training for the skills they need from young people once they get to the work placement, he will say.