Vocational Education
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to increase the provision and accessibility of post-16 technical education pathways.
Answered by Department for Education
Our post 16 reforms aim to widen participation through clearer pathways, including new V Levels, the expansion of T Levels, clearer Level 2 routes through Occupational and Foundation Certificates, and new level 1 16-19 English and maths qualifications. We also announced £87 million in exceptional in-year growth payments, to help support the level of demographic growth we have seen in the 2025/26 academic year.
T Levels continue to deliver strong outcomes for learners. In 2026, the overall pass rate was 92.6%, with 68.9% of students achieving a merit or above. We are making changes to T Levels content and assessment to support manageability and scale up and new rules for industry placements give providers and employers more scope to design innovative placements.
When designing these new pathways, we are placing a strong emphasis on inclusion. We are considering the needs of learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), those at risk of becoming NEET, and others who face barriers to participation, to ensure they are inclusive and accessible by design.
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