Level 7 at the crossroads: lessons from solicitor apprenticeships

The solicitor apprenticeship programme offers valuable insights into the broader potential and challenges of Level 7 apprenticeships across professional sectors. As policy makers consider fundamental changes to higher-level apprenticeship funding, the legal sector’s experience provides crucial lessons for the future of professional skills development.

Evidence of impact and demand

The legal sector demonstrates how higher-level apprenticeships can transform professional education. Data from training provider Datalaw reveals compelling evidence of both demand and social impact for their solicitor apprenticeships, with over 1,000 new registrants for 2024/25 cohorts in six months.

Beyond the raw number of applicants, their demographics tell a powerful story:

  • 54 per cent of apprentices are aged 18-25, showing strong youth engagement
  • 42 per cent are from minority groups, demonstrating improved diversity
  • 34 per cent are from the most deprived areas, indicating social mobility impact
  • 86 per cent are from co-funded organisations, proving employer buy-in

These figures demonstrate not only the programme’s popularity but its success in reaching traditionally under-represented groups in the legal profession.

Policy implications

The current debate around Level 7 apprenticeship funding has implications far beyond the legal sector. The programme demonstrates several key principles relevant to other professional sectors:

Employer engagement

The high proportion of co-funded apprenticeships shows how the levy can effectively engage employers in professional skills development. This engagement is crucial for ensuring training meets industry needs while maintaining professional standards.

Social mobility

Significant participation from under-represented groups proves that higher-level apprenticeships can break down traditional barriers to professional careers. This success provides a model for other sectors seeking to diversify their workforce.

Skills integration

The programme successfully combines theoretical knowledge with practical application, offering a template for other professional qualifications. This integration ensures apprentices develop both technical expertise and practical competencies.

A policy challenge

The programme’s impact is particularly evident in how it opens up the legal profession to diverse candidates. Madison Earl, a solicitor apprentice at Sills & Betteridge LLP, exemplifies the transformative potential of these programmes.

“As a young working mother, I never imagined a career in law was possible,” she explains. “The apprenticeship has opened doors I thought were permanently closed to me.”

Her ability to balance work, study and family life demonstrates how the apprenticeship model can create accessible pathways into professional careers that traditional routes might not offer.

So while current government discussions signal a potentially significant shift in apprenticeship policy, the reality is that plans to remove certain Level 7 apprenticeships from levy funding eligibility could significantly impact these successful programmes.

While budget management is important, the data suggests these programmes deliver substantial returns on investment through improved social mobility and professional development.

Learning the lessons

The solicitor apprenticeship experience offers several key insights for policy makers:

Data-driven results

The demographics prove these programmes simultaneously achieve multiple government priorities, among them increased youth employment, greater workforce diversity and regionally distributed social mobility.

Sector-specific consideration

The legal sector’s success suggests blanket approaches to Level 7 funding may risk losing effective programmes that have demonstrated clear social and economic benefits.

Social mobility impact

Funding changes should consider the demonstrated role of Level 7 apprenticeships in widening access to professional careers and creating sustainable pathways to social mobility.

As policy makers evaluate the future of Level 7 apprenticeships, the solicitor apprenticeship programme provides valuable evidence of what can be achieved through this model. The demonstrated success in attracting diverse talent, securing employer engagement and delivering effective professional training suggests that careful consideration should be given to how funding changes might affect these outcomes across all professional sectors.

The potential exists to replicate these achievements across other professional fields, creating a more inclusive and dynamic professional workforce for the future.

An evaluation of the apprenticeship levy framework is currently underway and will examine how funding will be allocated across training programs. The solicitor apprenticeship model illustrates key considerations in the process, including qualification requirements, delivery costs, resource distribution, and long-term workforce development objectives.

How we’re supporting NEET learners at Harlow College 

In Harlow, like the rest of the country, the number of NEETs (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) is growing. 

When you think of a NEET learner, you might think of a ‘trouble-maker’ from the PRU (Pupil Referral Unit), or a kid with ‘challenging’ behaviour, who’s been permanently excluded from school. 

What we’re finding are learners who have struggled with their mental health, who are overwhelmed or need a different approach. Some of our NEETs learners are surprisingly academic, but have lost their way. 

The rise in NEET numbers post-Covid is staggering. For many, the pandemic disrupted their education completely. Some missed months – if not years – of regular school attendance, and they’ve lost confidence in their ability to succeed. 

Some have challenging home lives, or have been knocked off course with mental health issues. The barriers to re-engaging these young people are significant. 

At Harlow College we have developed an initiative called ‘Choices’ to address these challenges. Choices is for young people who need a more supportive, nurturing environment to help them re-enter education.

As the name suggests, the whole idea is to give them options, supporting them to take control of their futures. 

A holistic approach 

From the moment a young person shows interest in joining us, we offer face-to-face enrolment and interviews. Meeting them in person helps us to build trust early on, to get to know them and understand their unique challenges. 

We want these young people to feel like they matter, that we care, and that we really are invested in their success. 

Once enrolled, our support continues on an individual level. They get a tour of the college, meet their lecturers and have extra time to familiarise themselves with their new environment.

These might seem like small details, but for learners with anxiety or those who’ve had a negative experience somewhere else, it makes a massive difference. 

Predictability and stability are important; learners know exactly what to expect from their college day, who they’ll be learning with and what their timetable looks like. 

One of the most important elements of the Choices programme is its flexibility. We offer two qualifications: Gateway Qualifications’ Level 1 progression diploma and a smaller, entry-level certificate.

For those who didn’t achieve any grades in school, the certificate offers a starting point. For those who may need more challenge, the diploma provides that extra stretch, without pushing them too quickly into mainstream education. 

On top of that, every Choices learner is given an iPad to use while they are with us. This ensures they have the tools they need to engage with learning and shows them that we really are invested in their success. 

And it’s working. Take, for example, one of our learners who joined us last year, unable to enter the classroom without a parent walking him to the door. Today, he’s thriving on a Level 3 gaming course – independent, confident, and engaged. 

A bridge to mainstream 

Our goal with Choices isn’t creating a stop-gap solution. We are giving young people the skills and confidence they need to move on to further levels of education or even into employment. 

They aren’t treated like second-class students; they have access to everything mainstream students do. They participate in enrichment activities, attend employer visits and take part in mainstream GCSE or functional skills maths and English classes. 

Colleges need to see the value in these learners. Today’s Level 1 students are tomorrow’s Level 3 learners. They may come to us needing a bit of extra support now, but if we don’t give them that, we’re missing out on the chance to nurture the next cohort of skilled, motivated learners in its full diversity.

Last year, the programme hosted 50 learners. This year, that number has more than doubled. Choices is a game-changer, for both the learners and the college. 

Your turn

We have just four tips for emulating our success:

  • Start small and be clear about your objectives 
  • Focus on building predictability and stability 
  • Make sure you’ve got the right staff in place
  • Adopt a flexible curriculum

Bootcamp ‘outcomes’ remained elusive in 2022-23, new figures show

Skills bootcamps failed to win jobs or progression at work for almost two thirds of learners in 2022-23, data released today suggests.

Department for Education figures for the third year of the scheme show 42,340 adults started the short training courses.

Of those, 15,580 (37 per cent) moved into a new job or apprenticeship, progressed in their current job or secured a new business opportunity if they were self-employed.

The figure is a 1 percentage point increase on the previous year, suggesting national performance did not improve despite the number of starts more than doubling from 18,110 in 2021-22.

The proportion of learners who finished their bootcamp was flat at two-thirds, which equated to 27,730 in 2022-23.

Inspired by coding bootcamps that emerged in the US in the 2010s, bootcamps are a new format of DfE-funded learning that involve training, work experience and a guaranteed job interview over a period of up to 16 weeks.

They aim to help people into sectors such as software development, data analysis, rail engineering, specialist welding, HGV driving and construction.

‘Patchy’ bootcamps data

Experts and bootcamp providers are positive about the upskilling potential of bootcamps but some question whether they should continue in their current form.

Simon Ashworth, deputy chief executive at the Association of Employment and Learning Providers, told FE Week the measures of success set by the government – which budgeted £500 million for bootcamps between 2020 and 2025 – are “too narrow” and fail to recognise the positive impact of bootcamps.

He said: “At our conference last week it was reassuring to hear there is ‘definitely a future’ for skills bootcamps and we look forward to working with the DfE on the evolution.”

Providers are paid for bootcamps in three “milestone” instalments based on learners’ performance, with the final conditional on whether positive outcomes such as a new job have been achieved.

Mark Dawe, chief executive of The Skills Network which delivers bootcamps in industries including cyber security and early years, said in his provider’s ‘good’ Ofsted report this year the inspectorate recognised “many of our bootcamp learners got positive outcomes, including jobs, [but] just didn’t meet the strict DfE contract criteria for payment”.

He added: “Having spent so much time and energy setting up these programmes we hope the local areas recognise these benefits and continue to support the bootcamp programmes.”

Stephen Evans, chief executive of Learning and Work Institute, agreed the principle of bootcamps, with focused training designed alongside employers and aiming for a guaranteed interview at the end, is “sound and indeed common in lots of other provision already”.

But his organisation’s research found “more than half of participants already have a higher education qualification” and data on impact and outcomes is “patchy at best”.

He said: “At a time of limited resources we should be focusing help where it’s most needed. The indicators are bootcamps are missing the mark.”

Today’s data, which covers courses that ended at least 20 months ago, comes two months after the DfE released 2021-22 data following a two-and-a-half-year delay blamed on Covid and the general election.

Chance to evolve

Last week, Kate Ridley-Moy, director of apprenticeships and skills bootcamps at the DfE, said there is “definitely a future” for the courses beyond their funding cut-off date in March.

She told the Association of Employment and Learning Providers autumn conference that the programmes could potentially “evolve” into a fundable option through the reformed growth and skills levy.

She said: “There definitely is a future for skills bootcamps. We’re also thinking about how, in a reformed growth and skills levy, there is a call for shorter courses for employed people.”

‘Consistent’ with other programmes

Ian Ross, chief executive officer of Whitehead-Ross Education which delivers bootcamps, said the proportion of learners progressing from a skills bootcamp into jobs is “consistent with national programmes from other government departments”.

He told FE Week that 36 per cent of Department for Work and Pensions Restart participants get a job, and added it was “always unrealistic” for the DfE to expect 75 per cent of skills bootcamps learners would progress to paid employment or in-work progression.

He said: “Whilst our own skills bootcamp delivery is doing better in comparison to these national figures with 42.3 per cent of learners progressing into employment, bootcamps are new for most providers like us.

“We started delivering bootcamps in October 2023 and are constantly learning what works best and evolving our delivery as each cohort finishes.”

A DfE spokesperson said: “This government is dedicated to breaking down barriers to opportunity, by expanding accessible, targeted training that benefits both workers and businesses, ensuring everyone has the chance to develop and succeed in a changing economy.

“Skills Bootcamps continue to equip thousands with critical skills to unlock new career opportunities, whilst bridging essential skills gaps and driving local economic growth.

“We will build on lessons learned from past delivery and strengthen the programme’s impact to further develop Skills Bootcamps and expand flexible training for adults.”

Industry and FE must collaborate to make levy reform work

The recent autumn budget has signalled a significant shift in the UK’s approach to workforce training. This presents real opportunities for further education (FE) providers and industries facing skills gaps, as long as companies don’t lose sight of the core benefits apprenticeships bring.

The new government’s proposal to evolve the current apprenticeship levy into a growth and skills levy is ambitious, with companies now able to spend up to 50 per cent of their levy funds on training initiatives outside the traditional apprenticeship structure.

But while this proposal introduces much-needed flexibility, it’s essential to recognise it presents potential challenges as well as benefits.

For example, construction companies have long relied on structured, hands-on training to meet specific demands, and the growth and skills Levy opens exciting doors for FE providers to deliver targeted upskilling and more agile training models.

But if this is not carefully managed, there’s a risk that traditional apprenticeships could be overshadowed.

As industry demands continue to rapidly evolve, especially regarding both practical and digital skills, the new levy offers increased flexibility to address short term-skills gaps. With new levy funds allocated to shorter or targeted training programmes, companies can upskill employees quickly in response to project-specific demands.

The growth and skills levy is undoubtedly a positive step forward in this regard, but FE providers and industry partners must proceed thoughtfully.

One of the most significant achievements of the original apprenticeship levy was that it motivated companies to build training programmes that might not have otherwise existed.

These apprenticeships bring essential value to many industries, allowing young talent to develop skills gradually while simultaneously gaining practical experience in a real-world setting.

Traditional apprenticeships could be overshadowed

This is something that shorter courses often can’t replicate. If companies begin to divert too much funding away from traditional apprenticeships, this could weaken the programmes that FE providers and companies have previously invested in.

Therefore, it’s important that this model is still prioritised, balancing the flexibility of the new levy with the value apprenticeships bring.

One way to do this would be to ensure the new levy sparks the reintroduction of pre-apprenticeship programmes. Harnessed properly, these could further strengthen the skills pipeline.

Pre-apprenticeships offer younger students hands-on experience and early exposure to industry, and FE providers could play a pivotal role by aligning with companies to create pre-apprenticeship models that focus on building important foundation skills, which could improve recruitment and retention on these programmes.

Collaboration will be key to making this work. If FE providers and employers can jointly shape these programmes, they could become a valuable precursor to formal apprenticeships.

The success of apprenticeships is deeply rooted in strong collaboration between employers and providers. Strengthening the connection between them supports companies to tailor their approach and provide consistent support and feedback to aid apprentice growth. It also ensures apprentices receive both the academic and hands-on expertise they need to be successful.

The growth and skills levy allows companies to tap into a broader range of providers and course types, but with this flexibility comes the responsibility to uphold the high standards that make apprenticeships highly valuable.

Employers will need to choose courses that deliver relevant, high-quality training that aligns with industry standards. Equally, a range of learning options could feel daunting to FE providers, but if used strategically the new model could create a richer learning environment for all.

Reform of the levy represents a progressive step forward, aligning with the government’s broader economic goals as outlined in the autumn budget. It opens the door to address skills shortages, update training methods and support a workforce that must adapt to evolving needs.

To realise these opportunities, both FE providers and industry partners must strike a balance between the new flexibility the levy offers and the lasting benefits of traditional apprenticeships.

Government has unlocked the potential for greater innovation in and collaboration between FE providers and employers.

Now, it is up to FE providers and industry leaders to step up. By staying focused on quality and relevance, organisations can attract, train and retain skilled talent.

Skills England must cut through the red tape to close our skills gaps

In 1997, Tony Blair’s Labour manifesto said that the weakness of our industrial base was due to skills shortages. Thirteen years later, David Cameron’s Conservative manifesto said we needed to dramatically improve the skills of Britain’s workforce to compete. The skills challenge facing this government is nothing new, but we do need new ways to address it.

With the Chancellor’s continued commitment to establish Skills England and refocus the growth and skills levy through an additional £40 million investment in the government’s first budget, the spotlight is once again on how the UK can address its worsening skills gap.

This matters. The digital skills gap already costs the economy £63 billion a year in potential GDP according to the government’s own figures. A more flexible levy and a Skills England focused on cross-government coordination in partnership with both industry and education are a compelling way to address this.

While I understand some of the concerns over the independence of Skills England and use of the levy, we simply cannot go on as we are. Doing so risks creating a further disconnect between education and employment, making it harder to meet our pressing digital skills needs.

By focusing on non-traditional, flexible learning models, Skills England can carve its legacy in helping to address immediate skills shortages and upskilling the existing workforce to meet changing demands.

As one of the fastest-growing areas of the economy, there needs to be greater focus on creating pathways that allow individuals from all backgrounds to enter, and transition into the tech sector and tech-adjacent roles.

Digital skills should be integrated more thoroughly into national education policy, from primary school through to higher education and beyond, with more opportunities for adults to upskill and engage in training throughout their career.

Tech UK suggests the potential exists to create a further three million new technology jobs by 2025. In order to fill these roles with talent equipped with the right skills, Skills England needs to harness centralisation of decisions to implement faster changes to standards and qualifications.

We need to create more access points for new talent

Working in collaboration with business leaders and industry, it must increase flexibility in the design and delivery of courses which are eligible for levy funding.

The current apprenticeship levy is rigid and limits funding to accredited, long-set qualifications. This approach prevents innovation in skills training, especially in fast-moving sectors like tech, where the ability to quickly upskill is critical but the length of time to gain a qualification can sometimes be up to three years.

This investment is an opportunity for crucial reform to support flexible learning models, including short, non-accredited courses, to help businesses address immediate skills shortages. For this to work effectively, Skills England must have the authority to collaborate with industry and shape processes that are agile and responsive to the changing world.

It is no secret that skills demand outpaces supply. For this demand to be met, we need to create more access points for new talent to enter the field, and more opportunities for current employees to pivot into new tech careers to plug the skills gap, or upskill to meet the fast-changing demands of their role.

As a starting point, government policy should actively promote diversity, recognising that women remain under-represented – making up only 22 per cent of our IT professionals.

This limits the industry’s potential to innovate and grow. To change this, diverse talent pipelines must be nurtured from the school curriculum through to employment.

At Code First Girls, we have a 96 per cent conversion rate from education to job role. We have so far delivered over 200,000 opportunities to women and non-binary candidates to upskill in tech, working with over 130 clients to place these candidates into tech roles.

Our results are a testament to a successful model that realises the potential of forging partnerships that build regional tech talent pipelines and boost local economies by aligning training with business needs.

Flexibility, adaptability, and responsiveness to evolving business and economic needs is the only way we are going to close skills gaps, particularly in tech and digital skills.

The best way to achieve this is for Skills England to cut through the bureaucracy, backed by strong ministerial directives.

We must look beyond competition to deliver the system change we need

Given media attention paid to Sue Gray’s exit from No 10, you’d be forgiven for missing the arrival, or re-entry, of Sir Michael Barber as the prime minister’s adviser on effective delivery.

Barber’s role is to “support the prime minister in driving forward the delivery of the five national missions – through setting long-term goals on the economy, energy, safer streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future”. 

One of the finest, most credible and widely experienced proponents of whole-systems change, who worked with the Conservative government as an adviser on skills delivery, Barber’s appointment should be feted by adult, further and higher education sector leaders and training providers.

Here is another piece of the good news jigsaw that is gradually emerging from the Labour administration as it fills out policy intent and manifesto commitments with detailed proposals.

Furthermore, as Baroness Jacqui Smith, minister for skills, further and higher education indicated at the Association of Colleges conference this week, the government wants to develop detailed and effective implementation plans in partnership with sector leaders and practitioners – another welcome foray into the world of co-creation and impact measurement – an approach so clearly taken in the government’s consultation on the industrial strategy. 

This reinforces the centrality of skills to all five of the government’s missions, a point AoC CEO, David Hughes among others (including myself) voice consistently. It is further confirmation of a possible brighter future for colleges, universities, training providers and adult and community educators.

However, if we are to shape this future, we must remain laser-focused on the following: delivering high quality courses, developing innovative partnerships, achieving significant productivity gains to help the growth agenda, meeting expectations of local leaders of place across the diversity of devolution arrangements, and satisfying the needs and ambitions of employers, students and communities. 

We can take the lead by scrutinising our own activities

Skills and training through adult, further and higher education providers have a pivotal role to play in supporting the personal mission the secretary of state for education, Bridget Phillipson, who recently described her goal “to spread opportunity far and wide, to give every single child the very best life chances”. 

In this “new era of child-centred government”, the liminal space occupied for so long particularly by adult and further education institutions seen as the means to redress social justice can, and should, extend, fill out, and move beyond.

Like the nurseries and schools that nurture the young people who move into our colleges, training centres and universities, we should be proud that “our public institutions are civic in their outlook, anchored in their communities”.

The discourse of collaboration and partnership is key to bringing about the systems change at the heart of the government’s missions, which Sir Michael Barber has been brought in to help deliver. 

So I suggest we work together to help him. We can take the lead by scrutinising our own activities, ideas and practices to see if we can do better.

We can find ways of working more creatively and innovatively to help government departments work collaboratively.  We can model the way forward by showing that we can break down our own siloed thinking and stereotypical habits. We can think and act differently. 

I leave this year’s AoC conference feeling energised and positive about the possibilities, and recognising that it’s not going to be easy.

We are used to working in a competitive culture. Walking around the AoC conference, attending workshops and chatting to participants, I was reminded of the plethora of individual and combative interests at stake, conscious that in play are a range of diverse stakeholders who, of necessity, place a clear boundary around their own jurisdiction.

Sharing, ceding territory and finding ‘win-win’ solutions require strategic energy, emotional maturity and generosity.

If we want whole-systems change that will move the five missions forward and maximise the benefits for the many, what is needed now is a not just a collective reaching out to Michael Barber but a concerted reaching out to each others, across all partners in the tertiary sector.

First rise in teachers’ pension contributions since 2015 proposed

The government is proposing the first rise in employee contributions to the teachers’ pension scheme since 2015 to avoid a shortfall in the fund.

However, the Department for Education said rates would not rise for the lowest-paid, and the monthly impact for an employee earning £110,000 a year is estimated to be £17 – which equates to just under £200 a year.

The department is also consulting on changing Teacher Pension Scheme (TPS) legislation to extend a pensions guarantee policy to college teachers who are compulsorily transferred to private companies providing public services.

It comes after the skills minister Jacqui Smith announced earlier this week that FE colleges will get a “crown guarantee” the local government pension scheme (LGPS), expected to lower contribution rates and save around £30 million.

In a consultation published today, the DfE explained the six “contribution tier” rates had remained the same since 2015, but the thresholds at which each rate is paid had increased annually in line with inflation.

Increases in thresholds leaves shortfall

As a result, the “estimated yield” from the current structure is now 9.45 per cent, whereas members are “required collectively to contribute 9.6 per cent across the whole scheme membership”.

This is “primarily because of the member contribution tier thresholds increasing at a higher rate (based on CPI) than average salary growth, which has affected the expected distribution of the membership in the contribution tiers”.

The DfE said it had accepted a “unanimous recommendation” from the Government Actuary’s Department and TPS advisory board “to retain the current six-tier structure with the forecast shortfall met by an increase of 0.3 percentage points for tiers 2-6”.

The result would be…

  • No change in the 7.4 per cent rate for those earning up to £34,289.
  • Those earning between £34,290 and £46,158.99 would see their rate increase from 8.6 to 8.9 per cent.
  • Those earning between £46,159 and £54,729.99 would see their rate increase from 9.6 to 9.9 per cent.
  • Those earning between £54,730 and £72,534.99 would see their rate increase from 10.2 to 10.5 per cent.
  • Those earning between £72,535 and £98,909.99 would see their rate increase from 11.3 to 11.6 per cent.
  • And those earning between £98,909-plus would see their rate increase from 11.7 to 12 per cent.

Increases of up to £200 a year

The DfE said the “particular circumstances of a member will determine the precise effect”, but provided “the estimated impact on take-home pay (i.e. after tax relief has been applied) for the majority of members”.

It said a teacher on £30,000 would pay no extra contributions, a teacher on £50,000 would pay an extra £10 a month or £120 a year, and someone on £110,000 would pay an extra £17 a month, or £198 a year.

New Fair Deal for colleges

The DfE confirmed it would have to amend the TPS regulations to extend the New Fair Deal (NFD) to college teachers, who would maintain access to their TPS pension when they are transferred over to private sector companies providing public services.

The Treasury today (November 14) confirmed that the NFD will be opened up to colleges. In September, it proposed to unlock non-statutory policy to colleges now they are public sector organisations.

“As a result of the reclassification and the resulting policy change, continuing access to the TPS will be permitted for employees of FE establishments where the transfer provides for this,” the Treasury consultation document outlined.

“This will allow them to retain access to the scheme, while they remain employed on that public service contract,” it added.

FE Week reported when the consultation opened in September that the reform is more likely to impact members of the LGPS in colleges i.e. cleaners and support staff rather than teachers.

“This should apply to tendering and outsourcing exercises currently in progress, where the transfer of staff has not yet been concluded,” said Nick Donlevy, the Treasury’s director of public spending.

NEU announces sixth form college strike dates

Teachers at 32 sixth form colleges will begin three days of strike action later this month after being snubbed from the government’s pay award for school teachers.

Non-academised sixth-form college members of the National Education Union will walk out on November 28, December 3 and December 4.

NEU announced earlier this week it achieved a 97 per cent vote in favour for strike action in 32 of the 39 sixth form colleges balloted. But it held off announcing strike dates while it sought “urgent clarification” from the government on whether the £300 million announced at the budget could be spent on staff pay.

A spokesperson said today that “no such clarification has been received” so strikes will follow.

The row stems from the announcement in the summer that a 5.5 per cent pay rise for 2024/25 will be funded for schools and academised sixth form colleges. Non-academised sixth form colleges, alongside further education colleges, were excluded from the deal.

Daniel Kebede, NEU general secretary, said: “Our dispute has highlighted the lack of care shown to the further education sector as a whole and the urgent need to bring college staff pay up to at least the same level as in schools. 

“We remain concerned by the disregard shown by the DfE to the longstanding, effective collective bargaining arrangements in sixth form colleges and would expect that this situation would not arise in the future.”

Smith supports pay equality

Skills minister Jacqui Smith told the Association of Colleges annual conference yesterday she acknowledged widespread disappointment that colleges were not included in the government’s decision to award the school teacher pay rise. 

“We have a different situation in FE in terms of the government’s role in pay, and that was the reason why we weren’t at that point able to fund the same pay increase,” she said.

“I know it will have felt like a lack of recognition of the FE workforce, but genuinely we understand the crucial role that the FE workforce plays … and I think we need to think about the architecture around FE teacher pay for the future.” 

Asked directly if she would like to see FE and school teacher pay match, Smith replied: “Yes, yes I would.”

Kebede welcomed Smith’s comments and said his union “remained hopeful the government will guarantee that colleges may utilise additional funding now allocated to them for pay”.

The 32 sixth form colleges that voted in favour of strike: 

Aquinas College (Stockport) 

Barton Peveril Sixth Form College (Eastleigh) 

Bolton Sixth Form College 

Brighton Hove and Sussex Sixth Form College 

Cardinal Newman College (Preston) 

Christ The King Sixth Form College (Lewisham) 

Christ The King Sixth Form College Aquinas 

Capital City College – Angel (Islington) 

Greenhead College (Huddersfield)  

Henley College 

Hills Road Sixth Form College (Cambridge) 

Holy Cross College (Bury) 

Itchen College (Southampton) 

Joseph Chamberlain Sixth Form College (Birmingham) 

Leyton Sixth Form College 

Loreto College (Manchester) 

Luton Sixth Form College 

Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College (Leeds) 

Peter Symonds College (Winchester) 

Richard Collyer, The College of (Horsham) 

Scarborough Sixth Form College 

Shrewsbury Colleges Group 

Sir George Monoux College (Walthamstow)  

St Brendan’s Sixth Form College (Bristol) 

St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College (Kensington) 

St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College (Clapham) 

St John Rigby RC Sixth Form College (Wigan) 

Varndean College (Brighton) 

Wilberforce College (Hull) 

Winstanley College (Wigan) 

WQE and Regent College Group (Leicester) 

Wyke Sixth Form College 

Xaverian College (Manchester)

DfE told to abolish ‘overwhelmingly negative’ T Level transition course

A think tank has called for the “overwhelmingly negative” T Level transition programme to be scrapped after finding one in four learners who progress to a T Level drop out within the first year.

A report published today by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) also found T Levels are not “currently suitable” for many level 3 learners as over one-third of drop outs leave education and training altogether.

The think tank recommended the government completely overhaul or abolish the “failing” T Level transition programme (TLTP), which was renamed the T Level foundation year this academic year, and pause the defunding of existing alternatives to T Level qualifications.

The quantitative research report analysed data from the National Pupil Database (NPD) and the Office for National Statistics to investigate the early-stage trends and impacts of the technical qualifications that were launched in 2020.

One-quarter of T Level transitioners drop out

The TLTP was rolled out as a one-year post-GCSE study programme designed to get students T Level ready. But fewer learners are moving onto a T Level from the programme.

Just 15 per cent of the 915 students who took the TLTP in 2020/21 progressed to a T Level, falling to 8 per cent in the subsequent year’s cohort of 3,578 young people.

Of those who do progress to a T Level, more than one in four withdraw within their first year, researchers found.

“For a programme whose paramount focus is on helping students transition to a T Level, this is an alarming result,” the report said.

It recommended that the Department for Education abolish or completely overhaul the TLTP as the results to date are “overwhelmingly negative”.

“The programme is failing in its primary objective – promoting transitions to T levels,” it added.

The findings follow Ofsted’s 2023 thematic review, which found the weakest TLTPs “do not prepare students to move on to a T Level course”.

According to the TLTP framework, the Education and Skills Funding Agency expects “all” TLTP students to undertake appropriate work experience as an “important component” of the year.

But the EPI found less than a third of TLTP students engage in any formally recognised work experience or placements. Engineering and manufacturing has the lowest rate with less than one in five students receiving formal work placements.

Researchers suggest the low take-up is “likely” due to the wider difficulties with finding placements for T Level students.

The report also found the proportion of TLTP students taking some form of English or maths resit has fallen “considerably” over time and a “large” make-up (20 to 30 per cent) are not resitting despite being below the level 2 threshold.

“This could be because these students are exempt from the condition of funding due to having an EHC plan or because the provider allows them to be non-compliant as part of their 5 per cent allowance,” researchers said.

Smaller T Levels should be available for drop outs

The report found T Level students are less likely to complete their qualification than students studying alternative qualifications, with disadvantaged and female students particularly more likely to withdraw.

While 88 per cent of academic students and 72 per cent of vocational learners passed their level 3 qualification, just 44 per cent of T Level students achieved a full level 3 qualification in 2021/22.

However, T Level learners were most likely to take up apprenticeships and further vocational study. Out of a total 3,729 T Level sample size, 9 per cent progressed to advanced apprenticeships and 5 per cent went to higher levels of vocational study – the highest proportion out of academic, vocational, mixed and T Level learner groups.

Researchers also expressed “concerns” that half of T Level drop outs end up “missing from the education and training system”.

Of those who remain in education, just over half go on to study a full level 3 programme or an apprenticeship (30 per cent). 8 per cent of students who withdraw go on to study a partial level 3 and 16 per cent go on to study at level 2 or below.

Earlier this year, FE Week reported that 90 per cent of T Level drop outs that switched to other technical courses went on to qualifications due to be defunded.

The EPI advised the government’s curriculum and assessment review to consider introducing “smaller alternatives” to T Levels to allow a broader spectrum of access to level 3 provision.

“For example, students could take A levels and T Levels like many currently do with A-levels and BTECs, or a mixed level 3 and level 2 programme,” the report hypothesised.

David Robinson, director for vulnerable learners and post-16 at the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said: “As part of the curriculum review the government must carefully consider vocational and technical provision for 16 to 18 year olds, ensuring enough flexibility for students whilst also continuing to streamline the overwhelming number of qualifications to choose from.”

Cath Sezen, director of education policy at the Association of Colleges, said: “We have long said that T Levels are not for every student, and that students need to be on the programmes most suited to their needs and progression plans.  

“More work is needed to ensure that the content, assessment and work placement element of T Levels are set at the right level and work for the students we want them to work for.”    

Kevin Gilmartin, post-16 specialist at the Association of Schools and College Leaders, said: “We completely agree that the government should pause the defunding of existing alternatives to T level qualifications. It’s obvious that T Levels are not currently suitable for all level 3 learners and this process must be paused until it’s demonstrably clear that all young people will have a future pathway to the workplace or further study.”

A Department for Education spokesperson said: “Our mission is to make sure young people get the skills they need to seize opportunity and kickstart great careers in the most in-demand sectors.

“We welcome these findings that show T Level students are more likely to go onto advanced apprenticeships and other higher levels of study than other vocational qualifications.

“T Level student retention rates are also improving as providers grow more familiar with delivering the courses, although we know more work needs to be done.”