Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to introduce interim measures to ensure that learners have access to suitable vocational pathways during the transition period between the withdrawal of BTECs in 2026 and the introduction of V-Levels in 2027.

To support the transition to V Levels, the government will retain the majority of existing vocational qualifications to minimise disruption for learners and providers. This includes Applied General Qualifications under 720 guided learning hours in T Level areas, as well as smaller reformed qualifications such as Alternative Academic Qualifications and Technical Occupational Qualifications. In non-T Level areas, all current qualifications will continue to be funded until V Levels or T Levels are introduced. Qualifications that have already been defunded will remain so.

The department is consulting with the sector on the introduction of V Levels, including transitional arrangements to achieve the qualifications landscape set out in the Post-16 Skills White Paper.