THOUSANDS of school leavers face the prospect of not being able to go into further education if government plans to reform vocational education go ahead, the principal of Northampton College has warned.
Pat Brennan-Barrett has joined fellow FE leaders to voice her concerns that a significant number of students not looking to begin T Level courses will be left with no alternative to continue their studies.
In a letter to education secretary Gillian Keegan, the leaders of 115 colleges – including Northampton College – say they broadly support the overall concept of a more rigorous vocational qualification but fear that the government is “sleepwalking” into a situation that would only make the country’s shortage of skilled workers worse, potentially damaging the economy further.
The government is aiming to complete the roll-out of new T Level qualifications, which began in 2020, over the next two academic years for 16- to 18-year-olds in subjects such as business, construction, health and science.
Mrs Brennan-Barrett pictured right says T levels as a “good ambition and a good qualification” and emphasised that Northampton College is committed to developing the pathway for those that can meet the criteria but adds that the lack of a “coherent implementation plan” for those who could not do a T Level is a concern.
Students most likely to be affected by the reforms are those in the lowest socio-economic groups, those with additional learning needs and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities, she said.
Every year 140,000 students take qualifications at Level 2 when they are 16 before progressing to Level 3. Around 60,000 students start Level 3 study without a GCSE in English or Maths. “We do not believe the T Level courses will be accessible to the full range of young people currently studying at Level 3,” Mrs Brennan-Barrett said.
“The timing of the reforms, along with the defunding of qualifications is potentially damaging economically. Large groups of young people have no clear pathway yet existing qualifications are being removed without properly trialled and evaluated replacements. To be clear, we are asking for the defunding of level 3 qualifications to be delayed.”
Students taking T Levels will have tougher grade entry requirements than the existing vocational courses, including BTECs, they are designed to replace.
The letter to the Education Secretary says: “The Department for Education has made it clear that T Levels should be the only vocational pathway available by defunding at least 160 existing qualifications, potentially leaving no alternative for hundreds of thousands of students.
“We are not against this change. We are concerned the lack of a well thought out and coherent implementation plan.”
The college leaders have called for an approach that “would understand the needs of all students and map clear pathways for everyone at a time when the economy needs every single current and future employee”.
The Association of Colleges estimates that there are around 270,000 young people studying technical and vocational qualifications at Level 3. The letter has urged the government to consider retaining the existing qualifications in the interim to greatly reduce the risk for those not yet ready to take a T Level.
