Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of removing funding for applied general qualifications on school and college finances.

The department’s reforms aim to place our world class A levels and T Levels at the heart of study programmes.

The department has invested over £31 million to support teachers and leaders through the T Level Professional Development programme, £240 million to develop capacity to deliver T Levels, including industry placements, and over £400 million in capital funding. We have recently announced an Employer Support Fund to enable providers to reimburse employers for costs incurred in delivering Industry Placements in the 2023/24 financial year, worth around £12 million.

In addition, and in parallel with the development of T Levels, the T Level Transition Programme (TLTP) has been specifically designed to support students who want to take a T Level, but who may not be ready to go straight onto a T Level following GCSEs.

The reforms will not end all Applied General qualifications. They allow for large alternative academic qualifications, such as BTECs, in areas like music and sport because they are not well served by A levels or T Levels. They also allow for small alternative academic qualifications, such as BTECs, in strategically important areas such as health and science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The department would expect new technical qualifications to be made available in areas not covered by T Levels. There are now over 650 occupational standards which have been led by employers to ensure that technical education, including T Levels and apprenticeships, support the development of skills that employers need.

The department is continuously working with providers and umbrella organisations to support the move to the new system, including discussing the changes with colleges in their annual strategic conversations.