At the end of last year, the government announced the outcome of the rapid review of post-16 qualifications. Ministers had previously committed to clarifying the future funding of qualifications which the previous government had slated for defunding because they ‘overlapped’ with alternative qualifications, including T Levels. This was part of the wider Level 3 reforms which have been running since 2021.

For many years, Cogent Skills has been speaking up on behalf of employers across the sector to raise concerns about losing funding for Applied Science qualifications due to their popularity, use within apprenticeships and full-time programmes, and the reputation they have gained with providers – including those who accept them onto degree apprenticeships

We were pleased to hear that funding for Applied Science qualifications (720 and 1080 GLH courses) has been extended until 2025/26. They are among 157 which have seen their funding extended (including agriculture, environmental and animal care; legal, finance and accounting; business and administration; creative and design; engineering and manufacturing, digital; education and early years, and construction courses).

While we welcome this, we now have to consider what comes next. A new cliff edge is approaching as school students currently in Year 10 will soon start looking at their future options. At the moment, there is little clarity on what vocational courses will be available to them and what funding mechanisms will be available.

We understand the government’s commitment to T Levels, but there is a clear disparity among those selecting the T Level programme compared to alternative qualifications. For example, the three Health and Science T Levels (Health, Science, and Healthcare Science) supported 2,819 learner starts in 2023/24, while across all AOs some 24,147 learners began larger qualifications in health and science-related subjects in 2023/24.

We continue to raise concerns about the current T Level curriculum, where we know the content is uneven, which can impact on future progression opportunities to employment and higher education. Students can select routes including forensic science, molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry within the Applied Science courses, which given them greater depth of knowledge and the opportunity to take a mix of units which could lead into future career paths.

We’re still concerned about the impact these decisions have on the devolved nations, which rely on qualifications as part of their apprenticeship frameworks. If numbers fall as a consequence of future funding limitations, awarding organisations may withdraw qualifications, which will seriously impact the options for providers. This would be the same for providers and colleges who use qualifications to underpin their apprenticeship delivery; something which is valued across the science community to ensure the correct level and depth of knowledge is gained by apprentices.

In addition, as we have long made clear, these qualifications enable a cohort of learners to progress in education and training who may struggle to achieve their potential in ‘traditional’, academic routes. As such, the social mobility dimension of these changes must not be
overlooked either.

This is a crucial moment in the future of vocational education in the UK and we need strong leadership, future planning and clarity for parents, teachers, school and/college leaders. Long-term funding and qualification decisions must be made in the near future so providers can ensure the correct investments are made, and learners and their families can look ahead with confidence.

For our economy to grow we need highly skilled people across our economy, not least in science-based industries. At the moment, with so much uncertainty, there is a significant risk of narrowing down learners’ options and failing to inspire the next generation of talent to enter this challenging and rewarding sector.

The question everyone is asking is: can we afford to let this opportunity slip?