More than 5,000 qualifications which are not being taken by
anyone or are being studied by less than 100 students each year
may lose government funding, under plans announced by Education
Secretary .
The proposals set out today (Thursday
13 February), will make it easier for students to choose the
qualifications that are in demand and help them to land great
jobs.
The current system is confusing with around 12,000 qualifications
on offer to young people at Level 3 and below – including A Level
and GCSEs – often with multiple qualifications in the same
subject area.
This action is a key part of the government’s ambitious plans to
transform further education and training, including introducing
new T Level qualifications. Alongside world-class A Levels, new T
Levels will be the gold standard technical course of choice for
young people from 2020.
Education Secretary said
Trying to decide what course will put you on the path to a
great career is hard enough, but with over 12,000
qualifications available and many in the same subject – it can
feel like a needle in a haystack.
Removing funding for qualifications that have no or low numbers
of enrolments will help make sure students have a clearer
choice of the qualifications on offer, and ensure they get the
skills they need to progress.
David Hughes, Chief Executive of The Association of Colleges
said:
Making the qualification landscape easier to navigate for
students and employers is crucial for the success of technical
education. This will help that, but at the same time I am
pleased at the approach being taken which should protect
highly-valued but low enrolment qualifications which provide
crucial skills, often in smaller sectors of the economy. We
also welcome the opportunity for colleges to feed into the
process alongside the awarding bodies they work with.
Qualifications including ProQual Level 1 Certificate in Business
Administration, OCNLR Level 2 Award in Interior Design and Focus
Awards Level 3 Certificate In Personal Training are being
considered. These qualifications have no one taking them and
other options exist that are more in demand.
This move is the latest step in the Government’s wider review
of Post-16 qualifications at Level 3 and below, which aims to
ensure all qualifications on offer are high-quality, necessary,
and support students to progress into employment or further
study.
The review builds on work already underway to help level up
skills and opportunities across the country, including the
introduction of new T Levels, working with employers to create
more high–quality apprenticeship opportunities and establishing a
network of Institutes of Technology.
The government is seeking views from the education sector on
whether any of the 5,000 qualifications on the list should
continue to attract public funding from August 2021.
