Commenting on the government's Post-16 Education and
Skills White Paper, Jude Hillary, NFER's Head of Policy and
Practice, said:
"This White Paper comes at a key moment as NFER prepares to
publish the final report from our Skills Imperative 2035:
Essential skills for tomorrow's workforce programme. Our
research underlines many of the challenges and opportunities
highlighted by government, particularly the need for a more
coherent, evidence-informed approach to developing skills that
meet the needs of employers and local labour markets.
"We are encouraged by the White Paper's focus on aligning
education and skills provision more closely with employer demand
- an objective strongly supported in our report findings. Our
work has consistently shown the partnerships between public and
private organisations, underpinned by robust labour market
intelligence, are key by enabling effective decision-making and
responsive local systems.
"We also welcome the commitment to clearer information and
guidance for learners on the outcomes of different education and
training pathways, alongside a stronger emphasis on practical
experience. These measures reflect recommendations from previous
NFER reports calling for better progression data and real-world
learning opportunities that help learners transition into the
world of work.
“However, we would urge greater attention to essential employment
skills, beyond the limited reference to essential digital skills.
Our research continues to show that communication, teamwork, and
problem-solving remain vital for employability and progression at
all levels, now and especially in the future when we will need
more people with a higher level of these skills due to large
projected growth in professional and associate professional jobs
which utilise these skills more intensively.
“We cautiously welcome the introduction of new V Level
qualifications, which could help simplify the complex Level 3
landscape and provide a much-needed vocational alternative to T
Levels. However, it is important they build on the best of
Applied General Qualifications, particularly BTECs, for example,
maintaining their breath, flexible learning style (including the
option for continuous assessment) and entry
requirements.
“On English and maths re-sits, for too long, young people have
been forced to continue to re-sit these subjects where they have
not achieved a good pass, often with damaging effects on their
morale and confidence. We strongly support the government's
proposals for a more flexible approach to students continuing to
study English and maths post-16, including a study and work
pathway.
“We welcome the government's recognition of the FE workforce's
vital role through its commitment to invest an additional £1.2
billion a year in skills by 2028-29. This funding, which will
help recruit and retain expert FE teachers, reflects the
recommendation made in our FE workforce report, for
increased investment to enable colleges to better compete with
schoolteacher pay. This is an important step towards valuing and
sustaining the professionals who drive excellence across FE.”
