Higher Technical Qualifications
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he has assessed the potential merits of allowing Growth and Skills Levy funding to be used for Higher Technical Qualifications, particularly for adult learners.
Answered by Andrew Western
This government is investing over £18 billion per year in post-16 education and skills and is delivering record investment this parliament, committing an additional £1.2 billion a year by the 2028–29 financial year to support around 65,000 more learners annually.
Growth and Skills Levy funding is intended to support the training and upskilling of employees. It can be used to fund apprenticeship training and assessment and, since April 2026, Apprenticeship Units. Apprenticeship Units are short courses to help employers upskill their workforces quickly and flexibly and there are now ten units available for employers to use.
Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) are eligible for the higher education student finance offer on the same basis as undergraduate degree courses, for full-time and part-time students starting an HTQ that is a minimum of a year in length and is delivered by an OfS-registered provider. HTQs that do not meet this requirement are funded via Adult Learner Loans.
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