New qualifications to rewire education system and support young people into work

A new vocational pathway

The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper will reveal plans for the introduction of V-levels. These are new vocational qualifications tied to rigorous and real-world job standards. They will replace other qualifications to sit alongside T-levels and A-levels. They aim to provide a clear option for young people who want to move forward into the world of work, university or apprenticeships. At the same time, they strive to offer the chance to explore key sectors before choosing where to specialise. These sectors include engineering, agriculture, digital or creative.

The government believe that generations of young people will be supported to progress into work or university with these new qualifications. V-levels aim to break down barriers to opportunity. The plan is also to help deliver on the Prime Minister’s plan. Sir Kier Starmer wants to get two-thirds of young people participating in higher-level learning – academic, technical or on an apprenticeship.

Greater flexibility and sector choice

The current T-levels are equivalent to 3 A-levels. However, young people will be able to take a mixture of V-levels and A-levels. This offers more choice and flexibility. For example, a student wanting to get into either the creative arts or media industry could choose to do a mixed V-level and A-level study programme. They could take two V-levels (one in Craft and Design; and one in media, broadcast and production) and one A-level in music. Or, a student wanting to get into either the health or fitness industry – but also wants to learn more about digital – could do three V-levels (in sport and exercise science; digital; and health and care services).

The new qualification endeavours to streamline the confusing landscape of approximately 900 equivalent vocational qualifications at level 3 currently available to 16 to 19-year-olds. The current range of qualifications often leaves both learners and employers uncertain about purpose and value of each qualification.

Young people will also be supported to get the vital pass they need in English and maths GCSEs. The new qualifications will be targeted at students with lower attainment as a stepping stone to hopefully better prepare them to resit these GCSEs.

This will support white working class pupils in particular. More than six in 10 White British pupils eligible for free school meals do not achieve a grade 4 or above in English and maths by the end of Key Stage 4. This means they are more than twice as likely to need to resit these exams post-16 than their more affluent peers.

These ambitious reforms will drive up standards and better prepare young people for the world of work or further study. In turn, this will grow our economy and deliver on the government’s plan for national renewal.

What key figures in education had to say

Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

“Technical and vocational education is the backbone of this country’s economy and central to breaking the link between background and success, helping hundreds of thousands of young people get the skills they need to get good jobs.  

“But for too long it has been an afterthought. Young people have been left to navigate an overcomplicated landscape and repeatedly labelled as ‘failures’ by a system that has held them back from all-important English and maths grades.   

“Through our Plan for Change we are turning the tide. Our reforms are building a post-16 education system that truly matches young people’s aspirations and abilities, delivering the opportunity and growth our economy needs.” 

These reforms are backed by an extra £800 million of funding for 16-19 in education in 2026/27. The funding will also support 14 new Technical Excellence Colleges in key Industrial Strategy sectors. Improvements to the quality of teaching in further education is also an aim. A new system is being trialled, and supported by Ofsted, where every pupil has a clear post-16 destination.

These transformative reforms to the post-16 education landscape have been informed by the Curriculum and Assessment Review. The review will publish its full recommendations later this year.

Chair of the Curriculum & Assessment Review, Professor Becky Francis CBE, said:

“Post-16 education is crucial as young people study for their qualifications that will allow them to progress to work, training or university. But while academic qualifications have a strong reputation and provide a clear pathway, the routes for those wanting a more applied offer have been much less coherent. 

“The Curriculum and Assessment Review has collected and weighed a huge quantity evidence. Our full report will be published very soon, and I am delighted that the Government has recognised and accepted our recommendations to promote excellence and improve young people’s life chances by ensuring a choice of strong, well-regarded qualifications: A-level, T-level or V-level. The direction supporting improved Level 2 progress, including study of maths and English, will also help secure successful futures.” 

General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, Pepe Di’Iasio, said:

“We have to get to grips with the fact that a very large number of young people are currently not in education, employment or training. Ensuring that there are a range of excellent pathways available to all our students is essential in tackling this issue. We are also pleased with the recognition that a new approach is needed to support post-16 students in English and maths.”

Chief Executive, Association of Colleges, David Hughes, said:

“I am delighted that at the heart of this white paper there is a recognition of the key strategic role that colleges play, backed up by proposals to support them to have even more impact. Colleges, as anchor institutions, are major players in equipping people with the skills they need for successful work and life, boosting business productivity and success, as well as supporting and growing their local communities.

“Today’s announcement shows that the government is ambitious for colleges and wants them to scale up their impact through more investment and enabling policies. It also sets out ambitious plans for the post-16 education and skills system, with employers as partners and a collaborative approach in which colleges can work in tandem with schools and universities. We look forward to working with them and with the sector on how to start implementing those ambitions and plans.”

Chair of Skills England, Phil Smith, said:

 “Our nation needs a joined-up and forward-looking skills system that supports businesses to succeed and creates life-changing opportunities for people from all walks of life. We are on a clear path towards that and I’m delighted Skills England will be key to making it happen.”

Head of Policy and Practice at NFER, Jude Hillary, said:

“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. 

“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.

“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.”

Industry professionals have their reservations

Managing Director of UK engineering company Fundamentals, Vincent Thornley, said: 

“The plans look more like a rebrand of existing qualifications than a genuine simplification. The Government would make a far greater impact by expanding apprenticeships at all levels. 

“As an employer that pays into and makes active use of the apprenticeship levy, we see its value every day. But it needs to work harder for both employers and learners. The Government should strengthen the mechanism by widening the choice of training providers and supporting more flexible delivery models, such as intensive block-release courses. 

“We must do more to show schoolchildren that vocational and technical routes into work are valuable and rewarding, particularly in roles like engineering within the energy and electricity sectors, which are vital to the UK’s future.” 

Chief Executive of the National Franchised Dealers Association (NFDA), Sue Robinson, said:

The NFDA represents franchised car and commercial vehicle retailers across the UK. It calls for the automotive industry to be fully considered as part of the new qualification framework. It advocates for this due to the sector’s vital role in both the UK economy and the transition to net zero.

“The automotive sector is evolving rapidly as electric vehicles become mainstream, bringing new opportunities and challenges for our workforce. The UK is already facing a shortage of qualified EV technicians, which could present a major obstacle to the nation’s zero-emission goals. We urge the Department for Education to include the automotive sector within the first wave of V-level development and to work closely with industry to design qualifications that help address this growing skills gap.”

Director of the Centre for Employment Research and Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Westminster, Professor Peter Urwin, said:

“I agree there is some ‘confusion’ but removing BTECs and other respected long-running Level 3 qualifications, and replacing them with something that nobody knows anything about, ensures that any good intentions will ‘Cause Confusion and Delay’. The government rightly suggests that the Further Education sector is central to social mobility. However, further disruption is the last thing that is needed, and this initiative will do nothing to tackle the high number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).

“It is tempting to announce revolution when what is needed is evolution. To tackle the NEET challenge we need better management of the post-16 transition from school to FE and support for young people taking this pathway. They are much more likely to have some form of special educational need and disability (SEND), to be from a less socially advantaged background and their experience at school is more likely to have turned them off learning. Engagement and partnerships between schools and FE colleges that allow young people from age 14 to re-engage with learning are essential to this solution.”

Chief executive of Learning and Work Institute (L&W), Stephen Evans, said:

“The Government is right to say skills are central to so many of its plans, and the White Paper is clear that its focus will be on young people, a greater role for local leaders, and tackling the ‘missing middle’ of lower attainment of level 4 and 5 qualifications than other countries.

“But to achieve this we need a greater focus on increasing employer investment in training, down 36 per cent since 2005. And we must increase support for the one in three adults qualified below level 2 and nine million adults with low literacy or numeracy; on current trends it will take over 20 years for them to get the support they need. This, along with recognition of the wider value of learning to health, wellbeing and community engagement, will be vital foundation stones for all the government’s other ambitions.”

In summary

The introduction of V-levels marks a bold step toward simplifying and strengthening vocational education. By streamlining nearly 900 existing qualifications into a clearer framework, the government aims to reduce confusion and offer more purposeful pathways for learners and employers. The flexibility to mix V-levels with A-levels reflects a more inclusive and personalised approach to post-16 education.

However, the success of these reforms will depend on careful implementation and collaboration across the sector. Concerns around replacing established qualifications like BTECs, and the need for strong employer engagement, highlight the importance of listening to educators and industry leaders. If delivered effectively, V-levels could reshape vocational learning and better prepare young people for the future world of work.