9th March 2017 1:00
By Blue Tutors
The government has decided to streamline technical qualifications by defining new T-levels, reducing 13,000 disparate qualifications into 15. The aim is to improve the access and quality of technical education, putting it on par with more academic qualifications and therefore improve the UK’s productivity. The change comes after a government-commissioned review which found that the UK lags woefully behind similar economies, such as the US, France and Germany, and is in fact near the bottom of international league tables for technical education. It is also, unsurprisingly, over 30% lower in productivity (output/hour) than these countries, which has been blamed on the lack of underlying skilled workforce.
With many skilled labour jobs currently being filled by EU migrants, this is being labelled as a pre-emptive strike to attempt to fill the gap expected once Article 50 has been triggered and stricter immigration controls are put in place. It is hoped that the new system will improve the image of public perception of technical education, such that it can be held in high esteem alongside academic qualifications and is seen by students as a valid alternative career path. The vastly reduced number of courses should also help students make a more informed choice between industries.
The subjects on offer range from catering and hospitality to construction, and social care to business administration. The new T-level qualifications will increase the number of training hours by 50% to 900 hours per year (compared to the recommended 360 guided hours for A levels). The qualification will also require three months of work experience, and 16-19 year olds undertaking these qualifications will be eligible for student loans like University students.
The new qualification comes with the promise of £500 million additional funding, which is vital for schools in the current political climate where facilities and subject choices are all being cut back to the bone. This comes just in time as schools are being forced to “reduce the number of GCSE, A-level and vocational courses they provide because of funding pressures, and technical subjects are among those affected,” explains the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders.
The ASCL have voiced concern that the qualifications will still lead to a reduction of choice overall for students. The consulting firm Accenture stressed that ultimately, the success of the new qualification is dependent on its broad uptake by as many schools and students as possible.