US EditionNew V-level courses to be brought in for students after GCSEs
V-levels will replace 900 vocational qualifications for 16- to 19-year-olds, aiming to simplify options and help meet a target for two-thirds of youth to attend university or gain technical skills.
- On Monday, October 20 the Government announced V-Levels to replace 900 vocational qualifications for 16- to 19-year-olds, forming a third route alongside A-Levels and T-Levels.
- The Department for Education says the reforms aim to streamline a 'confusing landscape' of post-16 options, add a third vocational route, and target disadvantaged groups like white working class pupils, reflecting recommendations from Professor Becky Francis CBE.
- Each V-Level will equate to 360 guided learning hours, matching one A-level, backed by 800m funding for 16-19 education in 2026/27 and 14 Technical Excellence Colleges.
- The Sixth Form Colleges Association warned that students must still enrol on BTECs as defunding Applied General Qualifications may create a gap next year.
- Planned from September 2027, the Department for Education says V-Levels will clarify pathways to higher education and work, but critics warn they need more funding and workforce changes amid consultation on V-Level plans.
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What are V-levels, England’s new post-16 qualification, and will they improve vocational education?
adriaticfoto/ShutterstockThe government has announced that consultation will begin on a new vocational qualification for England: V-levels. These are intended to replace a number of existing technical routes currently available to post-16 learners, and make it possible for students to combine academic and vocational courses. V-levels will, the government claims, streamline the options available to students and offer a clearer pathway to both hig…
Education experts warn that now 'V level' shake-up is destined to fail
As part of its Post-16 Education and Skills white paper, the government has announced a new vocational qualification called a ‘V level’. They’ll offer a more vocationally oriented path for students, sitting alongside A levels, T Levels, and apprenticeships. Labour hopes that V levels will simplify the currently over-saturated array of GCSE/A-level-equivalent qualifications on offer. However, education industry professionals have warned that the …
How will new V level qualifications work?
V levels will become the “only pathway” for young people aged 16-19 to gain vocational qualifications equivalent to an A level, the government announced yesterday.The new level 3 qualifications “simplify” students’ decisions, and “streamline” the 900 existing vocational qualifications, allowing them to mix and match education options more easily.They will sit alongside A levels, which have an “academic” focus, and T levels, suitable for those wh…
New V-level courses to be rolled out for students after GCSEs in plan to simplify 'confusing landscape'
New V-Level courses will be rolled out to 16-year-olds as part of Government plans to simplify the "confusing landscape" of qualifications.The Department for Education (DfE) said the V-Levels will replace the 900 vocational qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds, such as Level 3 Btecs, which are currently available alongside A-levels and T-levels.The move is aimed at offering pupils more flexibility and letting them explore key sectors – which co…
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