Committees

The future of post-16 qualifications

Inquiry

The Education Committee will hold an inquiry examining how effectively post-16, level 3 education and qualifications (such as A Levels, T Levels, BTECs and apprenticeships) prepare young people for the world of work. The Committee will consider the Government’s current work and proposals in this area and look at whether an alternative model, which enables a greater blend of academic and vocational pathways, should be explored. 

The Government has several proposals underway on post-16 qualifications: 

  • Level 3 qualification reform: The Government has responded to its consultation on reforming level 3 qualifications, with a policy statement published in July 2021. This sets out a timeline for reforms to level 3 qualifications, which includes defunding from technical qualifications that overlap with T Levels 
  • The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill, which had its second reading in the House of Commons on Monday 15 November 
  • The further rollout of T Levels The Committee’s new inquiry will look at the impact of these changes and whether existing and proposed arrangements go far enough to prepare young people for the world of work.

The Committee’s new inquiry will look at the impact of these changes and whether existing and proposed arrangements go far enough to prepare young people for the world of work. 

Read the call for evidence for more detail about the inquiry. 

This inquiry is no longer accepting evidence

The deadline for submissions was 11:59pm on 20 January 2022.

Upcoming events

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No upcoming events scheduled

Past events

Tuesday 13 December 2022
10:00am Public
The future of post-16 qualifications - Oral evidence 13 December 2022
10:00am
  • Rt Hon Robert Halfon (Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education at Department for Education)
  • Sue Lovelock (Director of Professional and Technical Education at Department for Education)
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 8 November 2022
10:00am Public
The future of post-16 qualifications - Oral evidence 8 November 2022
10:00am
  • Alice Barnard (Chief Executive at Edge Foundation)
  • Tom Richmond (Director at EDSK)
  • Richard Markham (CEO at IB Schools and Colleges Association (IBSCA))
  • Kate Grieg (CEO, Coastal Academies Trust at King Ethelbert School)
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 18 October 2022
10:00am Public
The future of post-16 qualifications - Oral evidence 18 October 2022
10:00am
  • Yiannis Koursis (Principal and CEO at Barnsley College)
  • Andria Singlehurst (Director of Learning at Aspirations Academies Trusts)
  • Martin Said (Instructional Lead XP Trust, founding teacher at the first XP School in Doncaster at XP School Doncaster)
  • Tina Götschi (Sixth Form Principal at Ada, National College for Digital Skills)
Room 15, Palace of Westminster
Tuesday 12 July 2022
10:00am Public
The future of post-16 qualifications - Oral evidence 12 July 2022
10:00am
  • Kirsti Lord (Deputy Chief Executive at Association of Colleges)
  • Tom Bewick (CEO at Federation of Awarding Bodies)
  • David Gallagher (Chief Executive at NCFE)
  • Mrs Ruth Perry (Representative, Special Educational Consortium and Senior Policy Manager at Natspec)
  • Dr Lisa Morrison-Coulthard (Research Director at National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER))
Room 15, Palace of Westminster

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