Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has (a) sought and (b) received representations from employers about the value that they place on BTEC qualifications.

The department has consulted in two stages on reforms to level 3 qualifications. For both consultations the department sought responses from employers and their representative bodies about our proposals for the range of qualifications that will be funded alongside T Levels and A levels in future. The review has engaged with employer groups representing a range of industry, including construction, digital, engineering, hair and beauty, as well as bodies representing both small and large employers.

We published our plans for reform in July 2021 alongside a summary of the responses received to the most recent consultation. This summary did not separate the responses by employers and their representatives from wider respondents.

We continue to work with the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute) to ensure that employers remain at the heart of our reforms. The Institute works extensively with employers to make certain that qualifications are grounded in the needs of the workplace.