BTEC survival hope after Smith’s policy shift

Courses that 'overlap' with T levels faced the cut under plans inherited from the Conservatives

Courses that 'overlap' with T levels faced the cut under plans inherited from the Conservatives

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Popular courses facing the axe under controversial level 3 reforms may now survive after a “fundamental shift” signalled by the government.

Labour is carrying out a “short, focused review” of an ongoing cull of vocational courses in favour of T Levels.

The review has until Christmas to decide the future of hundreds of courses such BTECs that the Tories planned to defund between 2024 and 2028.

It will consult a “representative sample” of colleges, awarding organisations and other key stakeholders.

But unlike Labour’s longer independent curriculum and assessment review launched at the same time, the level 3 review’s terms of reference remain a secret, leaving its exact aims and scope a mystery.

Skills minister Jacqui Smith, who will oversee the review, outlined her objectives in an opinion piece in this week’s FE Week.

Learner and employer needs

Signalling a change in approach to the previous government, Smith said Labour would consider retaining “other qualifications alongside T Levels and A Levels”.

The Tories had planned to cut a range of popular vocational courses that overlapped with T and A Levels in a bid to “streamline” students towards technical or academic qualifications that were “high quality and lead to good outcomes”.

This caused concern that popular courses in areas such as health, construction and electrical, travel and tourism and uniformed protective services would be lost.

But Smith said the government would “maintain” qualifications if the review “identifies the balance of learner and employer needs within a sector requires level 3 qualifications other than T Levels and A Levels”.

She added: “This may well be in areas that overlap with T Levels, which is a change from the approach taken by the last government.”

Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association which has led the Protect Student Choice campaign against defunding plans, welcomed Smith’s “commitment to ensuring that a broad range of level 3 qualifications will be available alongside A Level and T Levels in the future”.

He said his association now “expects” the 38 popular applied general qualifications that are part of the review – in subjects such as applied science, health and social care, IT and engineering – to “successfully navigate the review process”.

“We will continue to work constructively with ministers and officials to ensure that no gaps are left in provision,” Watkin added.

Association of Colleges chief executive David Hughes said Smith’s announcement on allowing overlapping courses was a “fundamental shift” in government policy.

He added: “The review will look at which high-quality qualifications are still necessary alongside T Levels and I’m confident we will end up with a good set of outcomes.”

Many in the education sector, and most vocally the Protect Student Choice Campaign supporters, had called for Labour to pause and review the wholesale culling of courses due to fears thousands of people would be left without a viable education option because T Levels did not suit them.

Appearing to recognise concerns about T Levels – that include low student satisfaction, complex assessments and major work experience requirements – Smith said the DfE needed to look at how delivery “can be improved” so more young people can enrol and succeed with a T Level.

But responding to concerns about only delaying cuts due to start last month, Smith said she was “not willing to go slow” on improving qualifications and did not want to “leave uncertainty hanging over the system”.

More courses ‘expected’ to survive

The previous Conservative government said it would only continue funding post-16 courses that did not overlap with A Levels or T Levels and were “necessary, have a clear purpose and lead to meaningful progression outcomes”.

In a guide published in April, the Department for Education said defunding overlapping courses would ensure T Levels were the “core of the new technical offer at level 3”.

Some non-A Level or T Level post-16 courses would be approved as either “technical” or “alternative academic qualifications” (AAQs) under a “new, rigorous process” run by the Department for Education, skills quango the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and exams regulator Ofqual.

AAQs at level 3 would only be approved for “strategically important” areas that T Levels did not cover such as STEM or NHS careers, with some cut down to smaller sizes – equivalent to one A Level rather than three.

Technical qualifications would only be allowed in areas not covered by T Levels and would link “much more closely with employers’ needs” by basing their content on occupational standards designed by IfATE and employers.

Chief executive of the Federation of Awarding Bodies Rob Nitsch, formerly IfATE’s second-in-command, said: “I do think it’s right that the government takes a considered view of T Levels alongside other high-quality qualifications and that we take a considered view of how these are performing.

“It is also important that all stakeholders are actively engaged so that we get the best possible outcomes.”

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