School pupils would have funding for vocational training worth £1,000 under proposals from the Conservative Party.
The funding would support part-time vocational training for a fifth of 14 to 16-year-olds.
Tory higher education spokesman Chris Grayling said that the grants would help to tackle the "crippling skills shortages" reported by employers.
The vocational grants scheme is designed to address demand for more skilled workers and to engage teenage pupils who are at risk of dropping out of academic lessons.
The £1,000 annual grant would be used to fund extra places in further education colleges or allow groups of schools to set up vocational training.
The Tories believe that the scheme could also encourage more industries to set up their own private provision of training.
Responding to the Conservative proposals Victoria Gill, CIPD adviser on learning, training and development, said: "All too often, with successive governments, similar initiatives have failed to meet employer needs. This is why we have the skills shortages we do today, across age groups.
"Whatever proposals are adopted to tackle the very real skills shortages facing the UK today, government will need to work closely with employers to ensure that courses and qualifications meet genuine employer needs. There is no point providing grants for thousands of youngsters to take courses that will not be relevant to the jobs they are likely to find available to them when they leave school."
