Ministers accused of breaking 16–19 funding promise with 0.5% rate rise

Ministers have been accused of breaking a promise for a real-terms funding increase for 16 to 19 year olds made in last year’s white paper to ease demographic pressures.

The Department for Education today confirmed the national funding rate for 16 and 17 year old learners will only rise by 0.5 per cent in academic year 2026-27, from £5,105 to £5,133.

This marks the lowest increase since funding rates were frozen in 2021-22.

The move has “disappointed” college leaders, who pointed out it breaks a pledge made in October’s post-16 education white paper which said there was “significant investment” available to “ensure there is increased funding to provide real terms per-pupil funding in the next academic year to respond to the demographic increase in 16 to 19-year-olds.”

Today’s batch of 16-19 funding guidance documents also failed to reveal details of any additional funding to support significant increases in learner enrolments this year due to a demographic boom in the number of school leavers.

Leaders said the government’s recent £800 million cash injection will be swallowed up by the extra estimated 20,000 16-18-year-olds entering college last autumn. 

But the Association of Colleges (AoC) estimated that there are already around 32,000 current learners in colleges who will now be unfunded, and the “disappointing” funding rise will leave “very little” for staff pay rises. 

The white paper promised £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028-2029, which will allow recruitment and retention of expert teachers and will “respond” to the demographic increase in 16-19-year-olds. 

Julian Gravatt, deputy chief executive of the Association of Colleges, said: “Colleges will be disappointed by the funding announcement today by the Department for Education.

“The DfE calculation that there will be a 1.6 per cent [average per-student] increase shows that this promise hasn’t been kept, and right now, there is a lack of information on the overall budget,” he added. 

Gravatt added that the demographic bulge will bring in extra income in the 2026-27 academic year, which will be lagged for one year, but will also incur extra costs associated with more teachers, staff and teaching space. 

“This may leave very little money for pay rises in 2026-27 given that colleges are operating with funding that assumes no or minimal inflation,” he said. 

Officials have also removed the 5 per cent uplift to the national T Level funding rate for several subjects. 

Meanwhile, a £400 increase has been made to high-value courses in construction in a bid to boost the number of students who are “immediately” employable. 

However elsewhere in the 16 to 19 funding formula, there will be no changes in 2026-27 to the advanced maths premium, core maths premium, disadvantage funding, English and maths funding, English and maths condition of funding or programme cost weightings.

T Level rate lowered

T Levels with technical qualifications introduced before 2022 will have their 5 per cent uplift removed in 2026-27, even if their occupational specialisms were introduced after.

The uplift was introduced to support extra costs associated with the early rollout of T Levels.

This means the funding rate has dropped by 4.3 per cent from last year for T Levels in digital, construction, education and early years and health and science. 

The funding rate for band 9 “very large” T Levels of 1,830 total planned hours for the programme’s two years will be reduced to £14,772 in 2026-27 from this year’s rate of £15,430. 

Band 8 (comprising an average 1,680 planned hours) will reduce from £14,146 to £13,544.  

Band 7 will shrink from £12,864 to £12,316 and band 6 will fall from £11,154 to £10,680. 

Sitting alongside the above funding bands are three additional “uplifted” funding rates across bands 6 to 8. 

The 5 per cent uplift has applied to T Levels in business and administration, legal, finance and accounting, engineering and manufacturing, agriculture and animal care, creative and design and marketing. 

The uplifted band 6 will fund the marketing, finance, accounting and legal services T Levels at £11,214 per student across the two-year qualification. 

Uplifted band 7 has been boosted to £12,932, affecting T Levels such as management and administration, craft and design and media, broadcast and production. 

Meanwhile, all three engineering and manufacturing T Levels and most routes under agriculture, environmental and animal care courses will be boosted to £14,222 per student under the uplifted band 8. 

Ministers today confirmed plans to limit new T Levels to 1,080 guided learning hours, lower than the current minimum of 1,180 hours after long-standing calls from colleges that T Levels are too large and difficult to deliver at scale. 

The move followed new starts data this morning showing ministers failed to meet their T Level recruitment target for 2025-26 by nearly a fifth.

Functional skills to remain as DfE unveils ‘stepping-stone’ GCSE resit courses

Functional skills qualifications will remain available “for some students” as ministers introduce new stepping-stone English and maths qualifications for GCSE resit students.

The Department for Education has launched a consultation on new level 1 English and maths qualifications for 16 to 19 year olds that leave school with GCSE grades 2 or below in the subjects. 

The so-called stepping-stone qualifications were proposed last year by the independent curriculum and assessment review, led by Becky Francis, to better prepare learners to achieve a grade 4 pass in their post-16 GCSE resits.

According to a consultation published today, most in scope students would take the new level 1 preparation courses in their first year of post-16 study and then progress to the resit in their second year.

Changes to English and maths accountability measures, first mooted in the post-16 education and skills white paper, are mentioned in the consultation but are not set out in any detail.

Different design

Unlike functional skills qualifications, the new courses will be designed specifically to prepare learners to achieve at least a grade 4 pass at GCSE. 

There will be further consultations on the detailed design, curriculum and assessment arrangements of the new qualifications, but the consultation states they will be aligned to GCSE content and address gaps from earlier key stages.

Most students who leave school with a grade 2 or below in English and maths will be expected to take the new level 1 preparatory qualifications, but the consultation doesn’t say when they will be available for teaching. Officials won’t tell us that until they analyse consultation responses.

Enrolments on alternative qualifications will be allowed, but are expected to be rare.

“We believe level 1 and entry level English and maths functional skills qualifications will remain an appropriate option for some students. We also believe that level 2 functional skills qualifications may have a role for some students. This is in line with the condition of funding guidance,” the consultation states.

Students who achieve a grade 3 in their GCSEs at school will be able to progress straight to resits.

Modular vs linear assessment

One major design question in the consultation is whether the new qualifications should be modular or linear.

DfE makes the case for a modular design, meaning students could “bank” progress over time which it said could improve the confidence and motivation of students who have previously struggled.

The consultation notes: “If students make progress in their learning but do not achieve the full qualification, having nothing to show for that progress could lead to further disengagement.”

However, one drawback of the modular approach could be that frequent assessments have the opposite effect by increasing pressure on students and create timetabling challenges for providers. 

Options proposed include making the new qualifications fully modular, fully linear or a hybrid model combining modules with a final exam. 

Condition of funding still applies

The consultation makes clear the new qualifications will sit within the existing English and maths condition of funding rules that apply to 16 to 19 study programmes. 

This rule means providers must ensure students who have not yet achieved a grade 4 or above in English and/or maths continue to study the subjects. There are funding penalties if the condition isn’t met.

DfE said the new qualifications are intended to support the condition by giving lower-attaining students more time to gain the skills and knowledge they need before attempting to resit the GCSEs.

It added that the new qualifications should be completed within the teaching hours already required under the condition of funding guidance.

The consultation closes on June 2.

Ministers shrink T Levels to boost take-up and manageability

New T Levels will be smaller than any existing course as ministers slash classroom hours to make the flagship qualifications more manageable.

The Department for Education will limit new T Levels to 1,080 guided learning hours, lower than the current minimum of 1,180 hours, while also working to “manage down the size” of existing courses.

The move follows warnings from colleges that T Levels are too large and difficult to deliver at scale.

Ministers today confirmed plans for eight new T Levels (full list below), expanding the current offer that covers 21 subjects.

The new subjects include hair and beauty and catering and hospitality – two areas where the Department for Education has previously attempted, but failed, to launch T Levels.

In its response to the level 3 and below consultation, which also clears the way for new V Levels, the DfE said it remains “confident” T Levels are the “right choice for students who know what broad career area they want to pursue post-16”.

But officials admitted they “must go further to improve their deliverability” as recruitment continues to lag significantly behind forecasts.

Colleges told the consultation that the “size and nature” of T Level content and assessment is a “significant barrier” to both developing new courses and expanding existing provision.

The DfE said it will therefore make “further changes” to assessment and industry placements to support growth. New industry placement guidance will be published by June 2026.

The minimum 315-hour industry placement will remain. But officials signalled further watering down of the mandatory requirement, including enhancing current placement flexibilities such as conducting them across multiple employers, group projects or remote working.

For newly created T Levels, the technical qualification will be capped at 1,080 guided learning hours (GLH) in the classroom, alongside the 315 placement hours and time for employability, enrichment and pastoral support.

Currently, the smallest T Levels require a minimum of 1,180 classroom hours and attract £11,154 funding per learner over two years. The largest require a minimum of 1,730 hours and are funded at £15,430.

The new cap suggests funding levels could fall.

Alongside the hours cap on new courses, the DfE said it will continue reducing the size of existing T Levels where content and complexity are deemed unnecessary.

To make T Levels “more manageable for providers to deliver at scale”, the DfE and Ofqual will remove content “not absolutely necessary to demonstrate threshold competence” and cut the assessment burden, particularly the staff time required to administer exams.

Ofqual will also consult on allowing students to retake individual core exams, instead of resitting a full exam suite if they fail one element.

Officials began a route-by-route review of T Level content in April 2024.

In March 2025, the National Audit Office warned that T Levels may struggle to scale after student number forecasts were missed by three quarters, leaving a near-£700 million spending shortfall.

Latest 2025-26 starts data, published today, shows the DfE missed its revised recruitment target by almost a fifth.

Timeline for the 8 planned new T Levels

2028-29:

– Care Services 

– Sports, Fitness and Exercise Science  

2029-30:

– Catering and Hospitality

– Expansion of creative and design 

– Hair and Beauty

– Protective Services 

2030-31:

– Art and Performing Arts 

– Travel and Tourism

DfE misses 2025-26 T Level starts target by nearly a fifth

Just over 27,000 students began T Levels this year, leaving ministers short of their revised recruitment target by nearly a fifth.

Statistics published this morning showed starts on the two-year technical qualifications rose 7.6 per cent from last year to 27,446 in 2025-26.

But the entry figures still failed to meet the Department for Education’s expected 33,400 starts, according to its latest estimates.

It means that recruitment targets for the government’s flagship technical qualifications have been missed for the sixth consecutive year since their rollout in 2020.

DfE revealed to the National Audit Office last year that it initially expected 106,500 starts for the 2025-26 academic year, according to an original estimate in May 2021.

Officials made subsequent revisions, reducing its target four times between January 2022 and October 2023.

The NAO warned the DfE about the scalability of T Levels after finding original student number forecasts were missed significantly, resulting in a near-£700 million spending shortfall.

Early years, health and business remain popular

Starts on the education and early years T Level, which was introduced in 2020, jumped 4 per cent in 2025-26, making it the most popular of the 21 T Levels available with 5,723 entries.

Meanwhile, the health T Level, introduced in 2021, cemented its position as the second most popular T Level, logging a 17 per cent increase in starts from 3,772 in 2024 to 3,921 in 2025.

In its second year of delivery, the animal care and management T Level recorded 1,873 entries in 2025, up from 1,281the year before, making it already the seventh most popular course. 

Though it remained another popular T Level, the number of starts on the business and administration course dropped from 2,399 starts to 2,194 this year.

Starts on the building services engineering for construction T Level nearly halved to 870, a 45 per cent drop from 1,576 in 2024-25.

Take-up of the digital software development T Level (formerly known as digital production design and development) edged down 4 per cent to 1,966 starts this year.

Meanwhile, the new marketing T Level attracted 368 starts this year. 

Accessibility on the rise

More students with lower GCSE prior attainment are starting a T Level, according to new analysis from DfE.

The proportion of T Level entrants who do not hold a grade 4 or above in both English and maths sat at 8.1 per cent in 2022-23, this increased to 11 per cent in 2023-24 and then rose slightly to 11.3 per cent in 2024-25.

The DfE said a breakdown of this characteristic was not yet ready for 2025-26.

By comparison, 32.5 per cent of students who enrolled on a large vocational technical qualification did not pass their GCSE English or maths at school.

More non-white and SEND learners

The data also found increasingly more non-white students and SEND learners taking up T Levels.

DfE used the young person’s matched administrative database to analyse GCSE prior attainment in English and maths, ethnicity, special educational needs (SEN) provision and free school meal (FSM) eligibility up to the 2024-25 academic year.

The proportion of non-white students starting a T Level was 19.1 per cent in 2022-23. This rose to 20.8 per cent the following year and to 22.1 per cent in 2024-25.

By comparison, 43.5 per cent of students taking a VTQ last year were non-white, while the population census showed 26.9 per cent of 16-year-olds were from an ethnic minority background. 

Meanwhile, the proportion of T Level entrants receiving SEN support increased from 8.8 per cent in 2022-23 to 10 per cent last year.

According to individual learner record (ILR) and school census data, total T Level entrants were “almost evenly split” between male and female learners last year.

However, courses such as early years, craft and design and health had over 90 per cent of female learners.

In contrast, building services engineering for construction, onsite construction, and digital support and security (formerly digital support services) had mostly male students (over 90 per cent).

Foundation year starts down a fifth

Starts on the troubled T Level foundation year reduced to 7,344 in 2025-26, a 20 per cent fall from 9,228 in the previous year.

DfE explained the decline was due to a small number of large, high-volume providers reducing the number of routes they deliver. A total of 96 providers were recorded as providing the TLFY this year, down from 99 last year.

Health and science remained the most popular route with 2,075 taking the foundation course this year.

The construction route showed the largest decrease in entrants, a 70 per cent drop. Just 324 started a foundation course in 2025-26 from 1,104 the previous year.

DfE said the decline coincided with the scrapping of the onsite construction T Level and no new enrolments to this pathway this year.

Next year, the TLFY will be renamed ‘foundation year’ and will be gradually replaced by a new level 2 ‘further study’ pathway.

DfE agrees to BTECs defunding delay

Popular BTECs and other applied general qualifications have been granted another funding extension as part of a “sustainable” transition to new V Levels, the government has announced.

Ministers have agreed to extend funding for all level 3 diplomas and extended diplomas into 2026-27, giving colleges and sixth forms a significant reprieve with just six months to go before the start of the new academic year.

Defunding will now begin from autumn 2027, instead of this year, in finance, digital, education and early years – the subject areas chosen for the first V Levels (click here for full story and click here for the full list of courses to be defunded in 2027).

Further defunding will follow in 2028 in business and administration, care services, construction and the built environment, engineering and manufacturing, health and science, legal, sales, marketing and procurement, and sport.

It means popular courses like the BTEC extended diploma in health and social care will continue to be funded for another two years.

A transition document is due to be published today to clearly set out the arrangements to the new qualifications system, including the new defunding timeline for specific courses.

Skills minister: ‘We have listened’

Until now, the Department for Education’s position has been that “funding for all qualifications 720 guided learning hours (GLH) and over in T Level areas will be removed in 2026 and 2027”.

This timeline had prompted warnings from the sector that tens of thousands of students would face a qualification gap from September 2026 as removing large applied general qualifications, such as BTECs, before replacement routes were ready would leave many learners without suitable options.

A DfE spokesperson described today’s decision as a “phased, sustainable approach for providers to transition to the reformed system”.

Writing for FE Week, skills minister Jacqui Smith said: “You told us that the transition arrangements we originally proposed were too aggressive, putting providers’ ability to prepare for the reforms to come at risk. 

“I appreciate that and so, to give providers space and certainty, we are setting out that large qualifications the size of three A Levels or bigger in T Level areas will have funding approval removed from 2027 instead of 2026, apart from health and social care qualifications which will follow in in 2028. 

“Smaller legacy qualifications will retain funding approval until the relevant T Level and V Level is available in that subject area from 2027.”

It marks the third pause to defunding since the start of the Protect Student Choice Campaign in 2021, led by the Sixth Form Colleges Association.

Bill Watkin, chief executive of the SFCA, said: “Our members will warmly welcome the government’s decision to retain existing qualifications while the new suite of V Level qualifications is phased in.

“Colleges and schools can now make the most of this period of stability and certainty to ensure that tens of thousands of young people have an uninterrupted educational experience, while also engaging constructively and with focus in the design and rollout of V Levels.”

V Levels will sit alongside A Levels and T Levels, and will be equivalent to one A Level, allowing students to mix and match academic and vocational subjects if they are unsure where to specialise.

Revealed: The first three V Level subject areas

V Levels will launch in three subjects and begin teaching in colleges from September 2027, the Department for Education has confirmed in its consultation response today.

Ministers have also decided to design V Levels to the same qualification size as one A Level – 360 guided learning hours – so that students can choose to take a “mix and match” selection of vocational and academic qualifications.

In its full response to a public consultation on reforming the post-16 qualification landscape, the DfE has revealed that V Levels will be taught in digital, education and early years, and finance and accounting from September 2027.

Further V Levels will follow in 2028 in eight subjects including business, health, care, and construction, with four more subjects coming in 2029 in areas like catering and hospitality and hair and beauty, before completing the rollout in 2030 with courses in three subject areas including creative and travel.

In most cases, the DfE expects there to be just one V Level per subject, instead of multiple options under each route.

A four-year roadmap includes a total of 18 V Level subjects, 28 new level 2 certificates, and eight new T Levels (see table below).

The government has also launched a consultation on a new qualification for students with lower attainment in English and maths as a stepping stone to resitting their GCSEs.

It comes as ministers have again delayed the controversial defunding of popular alternative level 3 vocational qualifications, such as BTECs, that were due to be axed this year (click here for full story).

Labour’s introduction of V Levels is based on Becky Francis’ independent curriculum and assessment review, which called for a “third, vocational pathway” to sit alongside A Levels and T Levels at level 3.

However, many consultation respondents warned the government that “rushed and poorly planned implementation” could impact the quality of qualifications and employer confidence.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Our bold reforms will end the snobbery in post-16 education, supporting young people with real choice and real opportunity to build secure, future‑proof careers.

“Not only that, but it will give parents much-needed confidence in a system that values every route to success – academic, technical or vocational – as we continuing driving forward our mission to ensure two‑thirds of young people are in education, training or apprenticeships by 25.”

Piles of new quals 

The government said it will publish a full implementation plan by June 2026, which will set out further detail on the delivery of reforms for the more than 50 new qualifications that span V Levels, T Levels and level 2.

A key concern about the transition to V Levels and new level 2 qualifications was that the 2027 teaching timeline could “impact negatively” on their quality and employer confidence, with some respondents suggesting piloting small numbers of routes and regionally tailored pathways.

The government said it recognises the timeframe is “ambitious”, so it will launch the qualifications route-by-route over the next four years to make implementation “more manageable”.

It added: “We are working rapidly, making use of cutting-edge approaches in qualification design (including artificial intelligence) and learning from what already works well in the existing qualification landscape to streamline our processes so that the sector has the information and resources as early as possible.” 

This will include clarity on whether the new qualifications will be designed in an A Level-style open market or a T Level-style contract with a single awarding organisation.

Mandatory provider transition plans

Every college, school and training provider offering vocational qualifications will be required to submit “strategic transition plans”, which the department will monitor, each summer for the next four years.

Officials will request a “planning statement” from each provider in June, and then check providers are on track for 2027 in October, according to plans set out today.

Then from next July, an annual transition plan, signed by accounting officers, will need to be submitted which will outline delivery arrangements for new qualifications in the immediate and following year. 

These should include “robust” transition plans, a clear timeline and strategies for supporting staff, students and employers through the development and delivery of new qualifications.

On a national level a group of “qualification pioneers” will be appointed to help model effective practice and advise what support the rest of the sector will need. This group will also shape the government’s “clear accountability expectations”.

Meanwhile, the government will offer “targeted, practical support” to providers, including through workforce development, strengthened careers advice, and guidance on accessing capital funding.

Optional content

The government will only allow more than one V Level per subject in “a limited number of exceptional cases” to ensure that students can mix and match, and that T Levels remain the main option for large technical qualifications.

Exceptional cases where a V Level could be “partnered” would be when studying more than one subject within the same employment route would be beneficial to students, in the same way A Level students can study maths and further maths, the DfE said.

Details of the “rigorous criteria” for such cases will be set out in the implementation plan in June.

While V Level content will be set by DfE and informed by occupational standards, “some” subjects may allow for “optional” content which providers can tailor to the needs of local employers, regional economies or the “interests and aspirations of their cohorts.”

Brand management

Ministers have backtracked on plans to eliminate awarding organisation branding from the new qualifications after hearing concerns about “losing well-established” product names.

After initially proposing to remove awarding organisation names from V Level titles, the government now says it will “allow differentiation” by including awarding organisation, level and subject, with the product name limited to the name of the pathway qualification itself. 

This will also apply to the new level 2 foundation and occupational certificates.

Qualifications regulator Ofqual will consult on assessment and grading arrangements, which the government wants to be simple and consistent across awarding organisations, “in due course”.

Level 2 developments

Alongside V Levels, DfE will launch occupational certificates designed to be a two-year level 2 programme for students who want to study for a particular job or apprenticeship and “need to develop their skills in a classroom-based setting”.

Meanwhile, new foundation certificates will be a one-year “further study pathway” for students aiming to move on to level 3 studies such as A Levels, T Levels or V Levels – usually because they did not meet entry requirements due to their GCSE grades.

Catering and hospitality, and education and early years occupational certificates will be introduced alongside digital and education and early years from next September.

The first consultations on content of the new qualifications will launch in “late spring”, the government said.

‘Outcomes will improve’

The reforms will be positive for students with SEND thanks to their greater flexibility, quality and consistency, and “coherent” choice of subjects, the government believes.

The government argues that the smaller size of V Levels will mean they can more easily be combined or adapted, and that students can learn at their own pace or with additional support if needed.

Reforms to T levels should also make them “even more accessible” to students with SEND.

Overall, the plans “will improve outcomes for students”, the impact assessment said. 

Survey says

The DfE said their reforms were justified after a survey carried out by DeltaPoll last month reportedly found that parents of 14 to 18-year-olds prefer a mix of academic and work-based or technical training.

The survey of 1,124 parents in England showed that 45 per cent prefer the mix and match qualification approach, compared to 23 per cent favouring exclusively academic choices and 22 per cent vocational.

One quarter of parents reportedly feel unsure that their child understands what options are available beyond A Levels.

David Hughes, CEO of the Association of Colleges, said: “The simplicity of an agile, adaptable system with only V, A and T Levels at level 3 and with a new set of level 2 qualifications is a good one. 

“Now we need to work through the inevitable list of implementation and detailed issues that will require evidenced and grounded knowledge and understanding.”

Diplomas get a reprieve, and learners avoid the gap

Well, that was close. With just sixth months to go before the start of the new academic year, the government has confirmed that learners can continue to enrol on diplomas and extended diplomas in T Level subjects in 2026-27. Diplomas will continue to be available in 2027-28 (and until the relevant V Level is rolled out) alongside the all-important extended diploma in health and social care.

This is fantastic news. Today’s announcement will provide some much-needed certainty to staff and leaders in colleges, schools and universities. It will also reassure employers who were deeply concerned about the planned removal of these well-established pathways to key sectors of the economy.

But most importantly, it will avoid creating a qualifications gap that tens of thousands of learners would have fallen through. 

The next two academic years are a crucial period in the transition to the new qualifications landscape. However promising the promised land looks, V Levels will only start being rolled out from 2027.

In July, the Protect Student Choice campaign published a report that showed scrapping diplomas and extended diplomas in T Level subjects would have led to 52,000 fewer young people studying health and science courses from 2026-27 (a 45 per cent reduction) and 11,000 fewer young people studying digital courses (a 33 per cent drop).

In November, a campaign survey of 150 school and college leaders found widespread concern about the plan to scrap diplomas and extended diplomas. The vast majority of leaders believed this would lead to an increase in the number of young people not in education, employment, or training (NEET) in their local area.

We shared the survey report with the Department for Education, and we are pleased that officials and ministers took the findings seriously.

It would have made little sense for the government to commission Alan Milburn to explore to how to reduce the number of NEET young people, while simultaneously pursuing a policy that leaders predict would have the opposite effect.

Leaving students without a suitable qualification for two years would also have been bad for economic growth and would have made it much harder for colleges and schools to engage positively or effectively in the development of V Levels.

Taken together, that is why we have continued to make a robust case for this further pause to the defunding of existing qualifications.

Today’s announcement greatly reduces the risk of young people being left without a pathway in the transition to the new qualifications landscape. We are also pleased that the case to retain three pathways in that future landscape – academic, applied and technical qualifications – has been well and truly heard.

As a result, the Protect Student Choice campaign will now go through a transition of its own. We are proud of what has been achieved over the last five years.

Today marks the third pause to defunding since the start of the campaign. As a result, tens of thousands of students have been, and will be, able to study qualifications that would otherwise have been scrapped.

These are ‘level 3 ready’ students who, for a variety of well-documented reasons, would struggle to access an A Level or T Level study programme, and in most cases would not flourish even if they did.

Retaining the option to study applied general qualifications has enabled many of these young people to progress to higher education and/or skilled employment and they will now be joined by at least two more cohorts of students.

We always prefer to work collaboratively with government, but there are times when it is necessary to challenge policymakers. The threat to diplomas and extended diplomas simply could not be ignored.

The Protect Student Choice coalition of 27 organisations (including FE Week) was able to leverage the collective strength of colleges and schools, universities and employers, and a cross-party group of parliamentarians to make the case for a final pause to defunding.  That united front proved both powerful and effective.   

Our hope now is that we can now work in a similarly collaborative way with the government to get V Levels right for young people. Today’s very welcome announcement provides the breathing space to do just that.  

Three pathways, one goal: Getting young people back on track

We are facing a crisis in the number of young people who are falling out of education, training and work, and colleges are on the front line. Almost one million young people are not in education, employment or training. Nearly one in six 16 to 24-year-olds are unemployed. And with 900,000 more skilled workers needed in our priority sectors by 2030, the current system simply isn’t working for young people or for our economy. 

I know how hard college staff work to help young people to succeed. I want to personally thank each and every one of you for what you do.  But we need a system that works with you, not against you. 

We’re doing our part by delivering landmark reforms to post-16 education – and today marks a significant milestone in that journey.  

We have published our response to the level 3 and below pathways consultation, which received over 750 contributions from colleges, training providers, employers and young people themselves. I am grateful to everyone who took the time to engage. This is a reform built with the sector, not imposed upon it. And we want that collaboration to continue as we build out these qualifications. 

 It is also built on what we know parents want. The overwhelming preference of those we polled (nearly half at 45 per cent) told us that they would prefer their child to study a mix of academic and vocational qualifications after GCSEs to better prepare them for their future careers.  

Our consultation response sets out a reformed system built around three pillars. V Levels will give young people who want to combine academic and vocational learning a genuinely prestigious route into work. T Levels will be expanded and will be the best option for students to undertake more specialised study where they know which broad career path they want to pursue.   

And two new level 2 pathways will give students a clear onward route: one supporting students to progress to further study at level 3 and one supporting students into employment.  

I know that colleges, sixth forms and other providers need certainty to plan, and we are committed to giving them exactly that. 

We are taking a phased approach to transition – carefully balancing the introduction of new qualifications with the removal of funding approval from unreformed ones. No young person will be left without suitable options and there will never be a gap in subject availability. 

You told us that the transition arrangements we originally proposed were too aggressive, putting providers’ ability to prepare for the reforms to come at risk. I appreciate that and so, to give providers space and certainty, we are setting out that large qualifications the size of three A Levels or bigger in T Level areas will have funding approval removed from 2027 instead of 2026, apart from health and social care qualifications, which will follow in 2028. Smaller legacy qualifications will retain funding approval until the relevant T Level and V Level is available in that subject area from 2027. 

But make no mistake – change is coming. Every provider will be expected to have a clear transition plan in place, owned by a named, accountable leader. To support the sector as we move through this period, we are establishing a sector-led group of expert practitioners – our Pioneers – who are providers that will help shape those plans and ensure the support on offer is practical and grounded in real experience. Providers will also receive targeted support including workforce development, careers guidance and support from the FE commissioner. 

A full implementation plan will be published by June 2026, setting out the detail providers need to plan confidently and build sustainable capacity for the years ahead. 

By the end of this Parliament, we want our young people to take for granted that they can make clear choices, from a range of prestigious and robust courses, that will propel them to success, whatever that success looks like to them.  

This is national renewal in action – a skills system that prepares every young person for the jobs of the future, reduces NEET rates, and drives the economic growth our country needs. It will be instrumental in achieving the prime minister’s target to get two-thirds of young people taking a gold standard apprenticeship, higher training or heading to university by age 25. 

MOVERS AND SHAKERS: EDITION 525

Emma Barrett-Peel

Chief Executive Officer, Train’d Up

Start date: March 2026

Previous Job: Chief Operating Officer, Learning Curve Group

Interesting fact: Emma was an Air cadet in her youth and wanted to join the RAF as a combat pilot. At the time women were not allowed to fly combat aircraft

David MacDougall

Director of Work and Skills, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority

Start date: February 2026

Previous Job: Commercial Director, The Wise Group (Social Enterprise)

Interesting fact: David loves playing and making records and was a resident DJ in one of Glasgow’s biggest clubs many moons ago