New GCSE-level technical qualifications may be needed, says Powell

New or reformed national GCSE-level qualifications may be needed as part of Andy Burnham’s plans to introduce technical pathways for 14-year-olds, the education secretary has said.

But the pathways will initially use existing qualifications such as technical awards when they launch in 2028.

The government announced earlier in the summer that it would create the new pathways to start in two years’ time, but provided little detail on what the policy would mean in practice.

Education secretary Lucy Powell wrote to the education committee on 28 July, shortly after the policy was announced.

In the letter, published yesterday, she said her department would work with schools, employers and mayoral and strategic authorities to “explore what new or reformed national qualifications, at GCSE level, might also be needed as part of these pathways”.

This is the first time the government has explicitly said it would consider creating new technical qualifications at GCSE level, FE Week understands.

Pathways to use existing technical awards

Technical equivalents to GCSEs – such as technical awards – already exist. FE Week’s sister title Schools Week revealed last month around nine in 10 schools already offered these qualifications.

Approached by Schools Week, the DfE clarified that the new technical pathways will be rolled out in 2028 using existing technical qualifications already available.

This is because any new or reformed qualifications would not be ready for first teaching by then.

The DfE added that work will be done in parallel to explore what new or reformed qualifications could be introduced at GCSE level.

The timescales for introduction are yet to be determined.

‘Technical education superpower’

Powell added in the letter that her department “would work with partners across the country to make England a technical education superpower”.

This would be done “by placing technical and academic education on an equal footing and creating a system where technical excellence is recognised, rewarded and valued as highly as academic achievement”.

“Building on successful models such as the MBacc in Manchester, we will work with schools, colleges, employers and strategic authorities to ensure every young person can access high-quality locally tailored technical qualifications.”

It is not clear how far the qualifications will differ depending on the region, or whether different qualifications will be offered in different areas.

Analysis by Schools Week found that nine in ten mainstream schools entered at least one key stage 4 pupil for a technical award in 2025.

The government acknowledged that while most schools offer technical qualifications already, their plans would “boost the quality, availability and status of the offer”.

But Powell pointed out in her letter that only half of pupils in mainstream state schools studied a technical award.

“Most take just one alongside their GCSEs, and a small minority take more than two.

“This is not surprising when access to pre-16 technical education is uneven across the country and between regions.”

Variation in qualifications offer

She added that schools in the north east offered twice as many technical award options on average compared to schools in London.

It is not yet clear how the technical routes will fit into ongoing plans to update the national curriculum or progress 8, which are already in motion.

The government is set to publish the programmes of study for the new curriculum, as well as its response to the progress 8 consultation, this September.

There are plans to introduce V Levels – which are worth the same as an A Level and would be studied post-16 – with the first being taught in September 2027.

Powell said: “The revolution in post-16 which shows early promise needs more pathways into it and a stronger relationship between KS4 and KS5.

“This over-focus on academic pathways only has limited opportunity for young people, leaves many disengaged and is a major factor driving the growing NEETs crisis.”

‘Too many’ written off by Gove reforms

Setting out his plan for government in the House of Commons this week, Burnham defended his proposals to reform education “so that it balances academic and technical, and offers a path in life for all young people”.

One of his fiercest critics has been former education secretary Michael Gove, who declared in a Spectator column that Burnham and Powell “want to bring back stupid”.

“Michael Gove calls this ‘bringing back stupid’, when in fact, for too many young people written off by his reforms, it is bringing back hope.

“Allowing mayors to shape technical pathways and provide work placements for young people, building back into colleges and schools from the needs of the regional economy, is the way to support more young people into work.”