34
Rejected
Applied General Qualifications play crucial role in promoting social mobility distinct from T Levels.
Conclusion
T Levels are a rigorous technical qualification which will offer the ideal pathway for many students, but they will not be the right choice for all learners. Applied General Qualifications serve a distinct and different purpose to T Levels, and play an important role in promoting social mobility by widening access to, and participation in, higher education and skilled employment.
Government Response Summary
The government rejected the committee's view on the distinct purpose and social mobility role of Applied General Qualifications. It stated that many existing qualifications have low enrolments, are not employer-led, and are less effective than A Levels for university progression, reiterating its commitment to reforms.
Paragraph Reference
138
Government Response
Rejected
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
To support the roll out of T Levels, we are removing funding from qualifications which overlap with T Levels to allow T Levels the space to thrive and allow as many young people as possible to benefit from the breadth and depth they provide. The Government is putting A levels and T Levels at the heart of most young people’s study programmes because these qualifications offer the best progression for students. Ensuring that all students, regardless of background are best equipped to progress to skilled employment or higher education. Feedback from T Level students and providers has been highly positive. The first cohort on T Levels achieved an overall pass rate of 92.2% in summer 2022 and have progressed onto the next stage of their careers. The Government recognises the challenges that come with change, including timing. For this reason, the reforms are happening in a gradual, phased way and with significant levels of investment and support, including regular discussions with stakeholders to listen to their concerns. The earliest point the Government will remove funding approval for qualifications that overlap with T Levels will be August 2024—four years after T Levels were first taught (and eight years after they were first proposed in the Sainsbury Report). Level 2 and below reforms are being phased over three years instead of two, with first reform recently delayed by a year to allow more time to prepare. We have also provided extensive support to colleges to facilitate the transition to T Levels, such as online guidance materials, workshops, and webinars for employers to attend, as well as offering direct, hands-on support. We continue to do so. This includes a significant support on the provision of industry placements: • The newly updated provider support package supports providers in delivering T Levels, but from September 2023 will also aid providers in developing effective employer engagement strategies to aid them to source industry placements and engage with employers at scale. • Earlier this year, the department launched a £12m one-year employer support fund that will provide financial assistance to employers offering placements in the 2023/24 financial year. This will help with costs such as administration, support with training staff who will supervise learners or tangible costs such as personal protective equipment or vaccinations. • We have launched the T Levels and Industry Placement Support for Employers website, which can be found here: https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb The website offers guidance, case studies and information about T Levels, specifically for employers. • In November 2022, we launched the ‘Connect with employers interested in T Levels’ service, which enables providers to find employers who have expressed an interested in T Levels and industry placements. This service can be found here: https://connect.tlevels.gov.uk/start.
Source
Committee
Education Committee
Report
Third Report - The future of post-16 qualifications
28 Apr 2023
HC 55
Addressee Bodies
Department for Education
Timeline
Recommendation age
3.3 yrs
Report published
28 Apr 2023