Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure adequate long-term funding for BTEC courses.

As set out in our plans for reform of level 3 qualifications, published in July 2021, we will continue to fund some BTECs and other applied general qualifications (AGQs) as part of mixed programmes alongside A levels, where they meet new quality standards and support progression to higher education or skilled employment.

Students will also be able to study qualifications like BTECs as their full programme of study where there is no A level or T Level, and these qualifications will continue to play an important role for 16 to 19 year olds and adults as they do now.

The full range of qualifications that will be approved for long term funding in future will depend on the outcome of the new approvals process. Qualifications will need to demonstrate their necessity and meet new quality standards. These qualifications will include some BTECs and AGQs.

These standards are currently in development and will be published later in 2022.