Select Committee · Education Committee

The future of post-16 qualifications

Status: Closed Opened: 23 Nov 2021 Closed: 8 Sep 2023 4 recommendations 46 conclusions 1 report

The Education Committee will hold an inquiry examining how effectively post-16, level 3 education and qualifications (such as A Levels, T Levels, BTECs and apprenticeships) prepare young people for the world of work. The Committee will consider the Government’s current work and proposals in this area and look at whether an alternative model, which enables …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
Third Report - The future of post-16 qualifications HC 55 28 Apr 2023 50 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

5 items
3 Conclusion Third Report - The future of post-16 qu… Acknowledged

T Levels represent a welcome, rigorous, and high-quality technical qualification.

We strongly welcome the aspiration for T Levels to be a rigorous and ambitious new qualification which will level up our technical education system. T Levels have been developed alongside 250 employers and offer a prestigious, high-quality route for students to gain the skills needed by employers and the economy.

Government response. The government acknowledges the committee's positive assessment of T Levels, affirming they are central to Level 3 reforms, high-quality, employer-led, and include valuable industry placements.
Department for Education
14 Conclusion Third Report - The future of post-16 qu… Acknowledged

T Level Transition Programme shows inadequate progression rates to full T Levels

Too many learners on the T Level Transition Programme do not progress on to a T Level. The reasons for this are unclear. Only 14% of the first Transition Programme cohort actually progressed to a T Level, and just under half (49%) were able to progress to a level 3 …

Government response. The government acknowledges the T Level Transition Programme is new and states it is working with providers to better understand early progression outcomes and support more learners. They plan to review progression expectations as the programme matures and are reviewing …
Department for Education
15 Conclusion Third Report - The future of post-16 qu… Acknowledged

Review the Transition Programme to understand low learner progression to full T Levels.

The Department must work with providers to review the Transition Programme to determine why so few learners progress onto the full T Level. We would expect an effectively functioning Transition Programme to support at least half of learners to progress to the full T Level, with virtually all Transition Programme …

Government response. The government states it is working with providers to better understand early progression outcomes and support learners onto T Levels. They will review expectations and expect the Transition Programme to evolve, and are currently reviewing options to recognise attainment for …
Department for Education
21 Conclusion Third Report - The future of post-16 qu… Acknowledged

Monitor T Level marketing success by publishing annual awareness statistics nationally and regionally.

The Department must monitor the success of its T Level marketing and communications strategy through the publication of annual statistics—at both national and regional level—on T Level awareness among young people and employers.

Government response. The government states it continually evaluates its marketing campaigns and its 2022 research showed increased T Level awareness among target groups. It will continue to monitor impact and inform future activity, with a focus on regional variances, without explicitly committing …
Department for Education
23 Conclusion Third Report - The future of post-16 qu… Acknowledged

Regional economic variation poses a significant obstacle to equitable T Level access and success.

Regional variation in economic activity remains a significant obstacle to the success of T Levels. Evidence to our inquiry described T Levels as “a city-centric initiative”, and “the ‘urban qualification’ “. There is a risk that young people living in or near more affluent urban areas with access to a …

Government response. The government aims for equitable access to T Levels, stating they are available in every region and will be rolled out across the country by 2025. It monitors regional uptake and will ensure marketing strategies address specific regional challenges and …
Department for Education

Oral evidence sessions

7 sessions
Date Witnesses
13 Dec 2022 Rt Hon Robert Halfon · Department for Education, Sue Lovelock · Department for Education View ↗
8 Nov 2022 Alice Barnard · Edge Foundation, Kate Grieg · King Ethelbert School, Richard Markham · IB Schools and Colleges Association (IBSCA), Tom Richmond · EDSK View ↗
18 Oct 2022 Andria Singlehurst · Aspirations Academies Trusts, Martin Said · XP School Doncaster, Tina Götschi · Ada, National College for Digital Skills, Yiannis Koursis · Barnsley College View ↗
12 Jul 2022 David Gallagher · NCFE, Dr Lisa Morrison-Coulthard · National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), Kirsti Lord · Association of Colleges, Mrs Ruth Perry · Natspec, Tom Bewick · Federation of Awarding Bodies View ↗
17 May 2022 Andy Webb · Skysmart, Chris Pont · IJYI Ltd, Jane Gratton · British Chambers of Commerce, Lisa Silcock · Naylor Industries PLC, Matthew McCarrick · McCarrick Construction Ltd, Peter Cadwallader · The Port Hotel, Steven Kearney · SKARCHITECTS View ↗
27 Apr 2022 Sir Charlie Mayfield · QA Group, The Rt Hon. the Lord Blunkett, The Rt Hon. the Lord Willetts View ↗
30 Mar 2022 Andreas Schleicher · OECD, The Rt Hon. the Lord Baker of Dorking CH View ↗

Correspondence

2 letters
DateDirectionTitle
17 Jan 2023 Correspondence from Minister Halfon to the Chair regarding the Government’s rev…
10 Jan 2023 Correspondence from Jo Saxton, Chief Regulator of Ofqual, regarding post-16 qua…