Bold plans to break down barriers to opportunity, hold universities to account, and put the post-16 education system on a firmer financial footing have been unveiled as part of the government’s plan for national renewal.
Higher education reforms in the Post-16 education and skills whitepaper will ensure disadvantaged students are no longer priced out of university. Maintenance loans will automatically increase each year, with the biggest cash increases going to those from the lowest-income households, after the Education Secretary recently announced targeted maintenance grants will also be reintroduced.
The announcement follows data showing the gap in university entrance rates between disadvantaged pupils and their better off peers had grown to its widest since records began in 2005.
Last year tuition fees were increased in line with inflation for the first time since 2017. The Office for Students is forecasting 43% of institutions will be in deficit without further action to shore up their finances.
To support universities in continuing to deliver world-class teaching and research, tuition fees will rise in line with forecast inflation for the next 2 academic years. Legislation will then be brought forward, when parliamentary time allows, to enable automatic increases to fee caps in future years in line with inflation but only for institutions that meet tough new quality thresholds set by the Office for Students.
This means universities will need to earn the right to access future fee uplifts by delivering strong outcomes for students and meeting the Office for Students’ tough new standards.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “Young people from all backgrounds feel they have been let down by a system that talks about opportunity but too often fails to deliver it.
“This government and this whitepaper will change that – restoring the prestige of higher and further education so every person, in every part of our country, has the chance to get on.
“Universities charge significant fees for their courses. If they are going to charge the maximum, it is right that they deliver the world-class education students expect.
“These reforms will ensure value for money, higher standards across our universities and colleges and a renewed focus on the skills our economy needs.”
Where standards fall short, the Office for Students will act quickly to stop the expansion of low-quality courses and hold providers to account. Universities that underperform could face financial and regulatory consequences, ensuring public money is spent only on courses that deliver for students and the economy.
The government will also tighten controls on franchising arrangements to protect public money and take action against the abuse of the system by recruitment agents.
The new measures build on earlier announcements from the Prime Minister, including a new target for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher-level learning– academic, technical, or apprenticeships – by age 25, up from 50% today. A sub-target will ensure at least 10% of young people pursue higher technical education or apprenticeships by age 25 by 2040, a near doubling of today’s figure.
This will be supported by the automatic backstop to ensure all young people have access to high-quality routes that meet employers’ needs, enhanced by local skills planning to drive growth across England.
Higher and further education will be more flexible and accessible for people at every stage of their working lives, supported by the introduction of lifelong learning entitlement.
Learners will be able to move between universities, colleges and training providers, building up qualifications over time to fit their evolving needs and ambitions. A consultation next year will look at introducing new ‘break points’ within degrees, so students can gain recognised qualifications as they progress through higher education.
The government will also work with universities and local authorities to ensure they offer adequate accommodation for their students and support efforts to drive down the cost of living.
A new national access and participation task and finish group, chaired by access and participation Champion Professor Kathryn Mitchell, will tackle regional university ‘cold spots’ and break down systemic barriers that disadvantaged students face when trying to access higher education.
Plans have also been announced for the introduction of V levels. These are new vocational qualifications tied to rigorous and real-world job standards. They will replace other qualifications to sit alongside T Levels and A levels, providing a clear option for young people who want to get on in the world of work, university or apprenticeships but want to explore different key sectors, which could include engineering, agriculture, digital or creative, before choosing where to specialise. Unlike T Levels, which are equivalent to 3 A Levels, young people will be able to take a mixture of V Levels and A Levels – offering more choice and flexibility.
For example, a student wanting to get into either the creative arts or media industry could choose to do a mixed V Level and A level study programme, by taking two V Levels (one in Craft and Design; and one in Media, Broadcast and Production) and one A Level in Music. Or a student wanting to get into either the health or fitness industry – but also wants to learn more about digital – could do three V Levels (in Sport and Exercise Science; Digital; and Health and Care services).
The new qualification will streamline the confusing landscape of approximately 900 equivalent vocational qualifications at level 3 currently available to 16 to 19-year-olds which mean learners and employers are unclear about the purpose and value of some qualifications.
Young people will also be supported to get the vital pass they need in English and maths GCSEs and end the demoralising treadmill of repeated resits. A new qualification will be targeted at students with lower attainment to better prepare them to resit these GCSEs.
This will support white working class pupils in particular. More than six in 10 White British pupils eligible for free school meals do not achieve a grade 4 or above in English and maths by the end of Key Stage 4, meaning they are more than twice as likely to need to resit these exams post-16 than their more affluent peers.
This package of ambitious reforms will drive up standards and better prepare young people for the world of work or further study – in turn, growing our economy and delivering on the government’s plan for national renewal.
The government has launched a consultation to support the introduction of V levels, designed to strengthen skills across industry including in the government’s priority industries. T Levels will continue to expand to other subjects.
Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says: “The Post-16 Education and Skills whitepaper makes a fair assessment of the significant challenges facing Higher Education, and builds on the welcome recognition in the Industrial Strategy of the importance of closing the perilous engineering skills gap in the UK. The Academy will shortly be launching a major new initiative – the Skills Centre – to provide a focal point for multi-sector collaboration at scale to address this gap. We look forward to working with Skills England, government and partners across the profession to take this initiative forward.
“On Higher Education, while we welcome the headlines in the whitepaper, there is much that remains to be resolved if we are to maximise the potential of this sector to support UK growth, prosperity and security. We encourage the government to follow through on its commitment to work closely with the sector, at pace, to put in place effective remedies and mitigations to the challenges identified.
“We also note that a key route through which universities contribute to growth is via collaboration with industry. Last night, we were delighted to announce University of Warwick and Tata Group as the winners of the Bhattacharyya Award for collaboration between academia and industry – a partnership which has attracted £500m of investment and trained over 750 degree apprentices. These types of sustained collaborations will be vital for delivering the aspirations articulated in the whitepaper.”
Beatrice Barleon, Head of Policy and Public Affairs and EngineeringUK, comments: “We are pleased to see the publication of the long-awaited post-16 Education and Skills whitepaper.
“We cautiously welcome the announcement of V Levels, designed to work alongside A Levels and T Levels. This signals a promising step towards strengthening work-focused training for young people in key sectors like engineering and technology. Government must ensure that this new qualification is recognised and supported by employers and further and higher education institutions and will lead to meaningful outcomes for both young people and employers. And it is vital that any subsequent changes are followed by a period of stability, with young people, employers and providers alike crying out for some clarity.
“The confirmation of the government ambition for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher level learning by age of 25 is also welcome, as is the data driven approach that will drive investment in education and training in growth sectors. It is vital, however, that the focus on getting more young people trained at Levels 4 and 5 does not distract from the need to increase apprenticeship opportunities for young people at Levels 2 and 3. These serve as important entry routes into the engineering and technology sector.”
