One year on from the skills white paper, the question for colleges is shifting from what new qualifications will look like to how we make them work for learners. With V Levels, Foundation and Occupational Certificates and further T Level growth planned from September 2027, colleges cannot wait for every detail before preparing. At Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG), we’re testing the implications for learners and delivery. As a DfE qualification pioneer, we’re contributing to reform development, identifying gaps and highlighting support needs. Start with learners, not qualifications I recently shared our lessons with nearly 1,000 colleagues at a DfE webinar. My message was simple: don’t start by asking what replaces the BTEC. Ask what your learners need. At NSCG, we support around 11,500 learners across three campuses, including 7,500 aged 16–18. We’ve mapped level 2 and level 3 provision against reform and defunding timelines, distinguishing confirmed changes from those awaiting clarification, alongside data on starting points, English and maths, barriers and progression. At level 2, over 70 per cent of our learners need further English or maths study, while around 60 per cent progress to level 3 vocational programmes. At level 3, vocational learners average 4.2 GCSE points on entry, compared with 4.9 for T Levels and 6.4 for A Levels. Across our learners, 69 per cent have an identified barrier to learning. These differences matter. Learners on substantial vocational programmes won’t necessarily fit new pathways without appropriate support. We’re modelling how V Levels, A Levels, T Levels, remaining alternative academic qualifications and new level 2 routes might work together, particularly for learners not yet ready for T Levels, those benefiting from broader vocational study or whose ambitions change. How do we maintain flexible pathways into further study, apprenticeships, employment or higher education? A 16-year-old’s aspirations can change. Our planning must allow for that. What growing T Levels has taught us We’ve delivered T Levels since the early stages, growing from 24 learners to around 825. What works for 24 doesn’t necessarily work for 825! Growth requires employer capacity, specialist staff, facilities and learner support. For example, before increasing health numbers, we check NHS placement capacity and identify gaps before enrolment. We’ve restructured our employer partnerships team: employer partnership officers secure opportunities and build relationships, while learner industry placement officers prepare, match and support learners. Flexible placements, including block weeks with the Ministry of Defence for engineering learners and weekly placements with digital employers, respond to operational needs while maintaining accessibility for learners with different circumstances. We’re looking beyond placement hours, using employer relationships to build confidence, develop employability skills and create progression into apprenticeships and employment. Successful growth depends on the infrastructure around qualifications, not simply the qualifications themselves. We’re applying this lesson to wider reform. Five things college leaders can do now I’d recommend five practical actions. First, make reform a whole-college priority, with leadership, governor oversight and joined-up planning across curriculum, finance, workforce, estates, careers and learner support. Second, map provision against learner data to identify starting points, barriers, progression routes and gaps Third, plan whole study programmes, not just replacement qualifications. Test A Level, V Level and other pathways against staffing, timetabling, assessment, support and progression. Fourth, prioritise delivery risks. We’re using readiness assessments, RAG ratings and protected planning days to test scenarios, identify capacity challenges and agree actions. Finally, engage beyond the college doors. The September 2027 cohort is already in school. Learners, parents, teachers, employers and progression partners need to understand their options. Plan with what we know, remaining flexible as guidance develops. Preparing together for what comes next Implementation requires collaboration between government, providers, awarding organisations, employers and progression partners. Timely clarity on specifications, assessment, funding and transition arrangements, alongside workforce and employer support, will help colleges plan. Providers start from different positions. NSCG’s breadth of A Level, vocational, T Level and apprenticeship provision gives us flexibility others may not have. Through our qualification pioneer role and the West Midlands Technical and Vocational Education Hub, we’re testing approaches, sharing learning and supporting sector readiness. My message is simple: don’t wait for the perfect plan. Start with your learners and test what delivery will involve. Ultimately, success shouldn’t be measured by qualifications introduced, but by whether young people can access suitable programmes, overcome barriers and progress into further study, apprenticeships, employment and higher education. That’s the real test of reform, and it’s the one we should be preparing for.