New level V courses to be offered for students after GCSEs

New vocational courses called V-levels will be rolled out for 16-year-olds under government plans to simplify a “confusing landscape” of qualifications in England.

They are intended to replace BTec level 3 and other post-16 technical qualifications.

Ministers also plan to reduce the number of teenagers repeating maths and English GCSEs by introducing an alternative qualification.

The Association of Sixth Form Schools has warned that V levels may not fill the gap left by BTecs.

Ministers are expected to present proposals for higher education funding, including university tuition fees, on Monday afternoon.

The government has launched a consultation on its level V plans, which form part of its post-16 education and skills white paper.

they come later Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer highlighted the importance of vocational trainingannouncing the goal that two-thirds of young people go to university or study a technical career.

Lola Marshall, 17, is hoping to do an internship after completing her health and social care extended diploma at Leeds City College, and said there was not enough discussion about vocational routes at the school.

“Everyone was always talking about college and no one really helped me decide if I wanted to go to college or do an internship,” she said.

It is not yet clear when Level V will be introduced, how they will be implemented or what subjects will be offered, although the Department for Education (DfE) cited crafts, design, media, broadcasting and production as examples.

Skills Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith said Level V was aimed at simplifying options for students.

“Right now there are over 900 courses that young people can choose from, and it’s confusing,” he said.

“[V-levels] “You will take advantage of what is good about BTec and other alternative qualifications: the ability to be able to work practically, the concentration on the things that will lead to employment.”

Students will still be able to study A levels or T levels after their GCSEs, or start an apprenticeship.

Ministers expect many will want to mix and match Levels A and V.

T levels, introduced in 2020, already offer a technical route for students, but initial findings from a government-commissioned review said they should not be the only option, partly because of their high entry requirements.

Students study one T level geared towards a specific occupation, while they can study three A levels in different subjects.

Baroness Smith said T-levels are therefore suitable for students who “really know what they want.” [they] want to do”, while V levels would be better for those who were less confident.

Plans to scrap BTecs have been underway for some years, and campaigners have stressed the importance of students having an alternative to A and T levels.

Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said students should be able to enroll in BTec and other courses over the next two years.

“Although the details are yet to be established, there is a risk that the new V levels will not fill the gap that will be left by the removal of applied general qualifications,” he said.

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Universities, said V levels could bring more “clarity and certainty” to higher education.

“We have seen many attempts before to raise the profile of vocational and technical learning – we have to hope that this time we get it right as a nation,” he said.

Baroness Smith also said a new qualification would be introduced as an alternative to GCSE exams, helping students who have “too often been on this demoralizing roundabout of taking exams and failing them”.

In England, pupils who do not achieve at least a Grade 4 in GCSE English and Maths have to continue studying during the next term and are expected to re-sit.

However, the recovery rate is low and the policy has proven controversial.

The government said offering an alternative would “break down barriers to opportunity” because white working-class pupils were twice as likely to need to re-sit as their better-off peers.

Its white paper will also propose that teenagers be offered the choice between two “pathways” – one focused on study and the other on work – which will set out what qualifications they will need to achieve their goals.

Ministers must also set out plans for the funding of higher education in England, including setting university tuition fees.

Universities have expressed growing concern about funding pressures after years of frozen tuition fees, with more than four in 10 universities in England thought to be in financial deficit.

They say fee income has not been able to match rising costs, and there have been fewer international students – who pay higher fees – coming to help make up for the financial shortfall.

Professor Shearer West, vice-chancellor of the University of Leeds, welcomed the fact that national tuition fees in England and Wales rose to £9,535 this year, but hopes to see further changes.

“They are asking us to do more research with less money and teach more students with fewer resources,” he told the BBC.

“The only way to deal with a situation like this is to really reduce our costs, which often means we have to lose staff and that can be seen throughout the sector.”

Additional reporting by Branwen Jeffreys and Hope Rhodes