Last week, the Department for Education (DfE) released a provisional list outlining the 160 level 3 qualifications (including 38 BTECs) that are set to be defunded by 2024. This list comes out in light of the DfE’s ambition to expand the T Levels programme with the introduction of 6 additional courses in September 2022 and 7 courses in September 2023. These qualifications have been chosen to be axed as they are deemed to overlap with the 10 existing T Levels on the market.
The scale of impact is significant
Out of the 662,000 students aged 16-19 who are currently enrolled on vocational and technical courses, 66,000 are enrolled on these 160 qualifications, meaning that 1 in 10 enrolments will be impacted by these decisions. Despite these qualifications making up only 8% of the total 2,000 courses currently available, the government’s proposals have significant consequences for young people and adults alike. This is particularly important considering that 27% of students on BTEC qualifications are considered the “most disadvantaged”[1] in the system.
There would also need to be a significant increase in the volume of T Levels available if they were to truly substitute for the courses proposed to be removed. Compared to those 66,000 students on these qualifications, just 1,300 were enrolled on T Levels in September 2020, less than 2% of the volume of learners.
The first T Level students are yet to complete their course
It is positive to see the DfE taking significant steps towards simplifying the vocational and technical landscape, which has long been thought of as confusing and complex by both employers and students. T Levels aim to move towards promoting substantive and high-quality vocational options that will hopefully support students’ progression onto their future pathways. However we are yet to see the long-term impact of T-levels given that the first cohort of students are only due to graduate in 2022.
T Levels are a new qualification introduced by the government in September 2020. As the first cohort are yet to complete, pathways following T Level graduation remains unclear, whether this be progression into the workplace or university. Popular courses such as the diploma in health and social care and both the diploma and extended diploma in engineering are currently up for defunding. With this in mind, it is concerning and pre-emptory that the government is looking to defund these longstanding, popular and proven qualifications until there is clear evidence of T Level success.
T Levels and standalone vocational qualifications do different jobs
T Levels are large qualifications with one T Level equating to three A Levels. Whilst this facilitates positive student learning and work experience, T Levels represent a significant narrowing of options for many students at the young age of 15. When selecting a T Level course, students are required to be relatively certain of their future career ambitions as a single T Level represents a whole learner programme.
By contrast, students are currently able to take a blend of A Level, BTEC and/or equivalent courses to support their learning. In this way, students can build up a wider portfolio of courses that allows them to move into Higher Education, apprenticeships or the world of work that increasingly demands them to be more flexible.
With the strengthening of T Levels and defunding of other vocational courses, there is concern that the option to follow a non-binary route will become increasingly challenging.
Fit with the wider vocational landscape
There is a distinct lack of vocational education pre-16 where Design and Technology and creative GCSE entries has been falling significantly since 2010 and the introduction of the EBacc and Progress 8. With so little opportunity to experience a taste of vocational education early on, asking students to select a T level as their whole post-16 programme may be daunting and very much a step into the unknown.
BTECs and associated qualifications also offer adults the opportunity to upskill and retrain later in life. Due to financial and caring commitments, many adults will be unlikely to take on a whole T Level. Defunding some of these qualifications risks limiting both young people and adults alike.
Learning from the past
Finally, every opportunity should be taken to learn from the past in this instance. T Levels very closely resemble the idea of 14-19 diplomas and even the technical and vocational education initiative of the 1980s. With the constant state of change in the education sector, it is important to familiarise ourselves with the teachings from the past in order to ensure that lessons are learned and mistakes not repeated.
The government has given until 8th July to contest their decision. The final list will be published in September 2022. With this in mind, we hope that government carefully consider the comments being made across the sector.