Secretary of State for Education (): I am today announcing
a short review of post-16 qualification reforms at level 3 and
below, alongside the re-contracting of T Level qualifications to
ensure these high-quality qualifications continue to be available
to learners.
This government believes all young people and adults should have
access to high-quality training that meets their needs and
provides them with opportunities to thrive. We know that the
current post-16 skills system in England is confusing for young
people, adults, and employers. The qualifications system remains
complex, and there are many overlapping qualifications including
those that overlap with T Levels. Too many young people leave
education without the qualifications they need to get into
high-quality apprenticeships, higher level education, and good
jobs. This is not good for our young people or our nation's
prosperity.
Our qualifications must deliver on our two central missions for
this government of enhancing and spreading opportunity for
everyone and growing our economy. Young people and adults should
have a choice of a simpler suite of high-quality qualifications
that provide them with the skills they need, and which deliver on
our missions.
We will undertake a focused review of the post-16 qualification
reforms at level 3 and below to assess how best to improve the
quality of the overall qualifications landscape, support the
growth of T Levels, and ensure that all young people and adults
have high-quality options that meet their needs. This review will
begin immediately and will examine the current planned reforms
and look at how we can ensure leading technical qualifications
like T Levels are open to as many people as possible, whilst
ensuring high-quality alternatives.
T Levels are high-quality qualifications which provide young
people with a firm foundation for their future. This coming year
will see further developments, including rolling out new T Levels
in Animal Care and Management, Media, Broadcast and Production,
and Craft and Design in September 2024, and Marketing in
September 2025, to ensure that young people continue to benefit
from these respected qualifications which include direct
experience of the workplace. To ensure T Levels continue to be
available in the years ahead, we will proceed with re-contracting
T Levels where contracts are due to expire.
To allow space for a short review of the current planned reforms,
we will place a pause on the planned removal, on 31 July 2024, of
16 to 19 funding from qualifications in Construction and the
Built Environment, Digital, Education and Early Years, and Health
and Science. This will mean that, subject to any commercial
decisions made by awarding organisations on these qualifications,
they can be funded for 16- to 19-year-old new students in the
2024/25 academic year.
We understand that the sector needs certainty so that it can plan
its future delivery. We will conclude and communicate the
outcomes of this review into qualification reforms at level 3 and
below before the turn of the year. Defunding decisions will be
taken after the short review, and the Curriculum and Assessment
Review will reflect these decisions. The expert-led Curriculum
and Assessment Review will be chaired by Professor Becky Francis
CBE, announced on 19 July 2024. This review will consider the
existing national curriculum and statutory assessment system, and
pathways for learners in 16-19 education and recommend changes
where necessary.
We will also publish, as soon as possible, a list of reformed
level 2 qualifications in Construction and the Built Environment,
Education and Early Years, Engineering and Manufacturing, and
Health and Science that will be funded from August 2025. These
qualifications, alongside those already announced at level 3,
will provide the next step to ensuring we deliver the skilled
training needed to support key areas of our economy.
