The government has published a draft list of 160 qualifications it says overlap with T-levels, including BTecs in engineering and health and social care. These popular qualifications are set to be phased out for teenagers in England as part of the move to T-level technical qualifications.
Gill Burbridge, principal of Leyton Sixth Form College in London, expressed concern about the pace of the rollout. 'We're not going to be in a position to rapidly expand our T-level provision, which means that other vocational qualifications – particularly the applied generals – are absolutely key in ensuring that young people can access the right educational programme for them,' she said.
Skills Minister Alex Burghart defended the changes, saying young people 'deserve a clear path and understanding of the qualifications and training routes that will lead to great careers'. He added that retiring some qualifications would 'help end the confusion and complexity we know puts some young people off studying technical options'.
Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, welcomed that only a small proportion of over 2,000 level-three applied general qualifications are on the list. However, he noted that some, such as the BTec diploma in health and social care, are 'enormously popular and well respected by universities and employers, and the impact of their removal will be felt by a significant number of young people'.
Originally, funding for most BTecs was due to be phased out between 2023 and 2025, but after a campaign by MPs and peers, the move was delayed by a year. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi also announced that English and maths requirements for T-levels would be removed to avoid 'unnecessarily inhibit[ing] talented students'.
