Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to meet the target of two-thirds of young people participating in higher-level learning.

We have set an ambition to have two-thirds (66.7%) of young people participating in higher-level learning, academic, technical, or an apprenticeship, by age 25.

The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper sets out our path to meeting that ambition, by raising the status of further education, strengthening our world-leading higher education sector, and introducing more support and flexibility for learners.

We are delivering these reforms at pace, with rapid progress across funding, policy development and key launches that are already impacting providers and learners:

• We are cracking down on rogue university franchising and in November we published our response to the consultation on Franchising in Higher Education.
• We are delivering on our commitment to expand the TEC programme. In December, we launched applications to become a Wave 2 TEC, and announced CTECs allocations. The national bidding round for Post‑16 and Construction Skills Capacity Funding in non‑devolved areas opened in February.
• In January, we launched the tender for technical and vocational subject teaching professional development, laid regulations for Initial Teacher Education reform, and refreshed the Teach in FE campaign.
• We have consulted on Post-16 Level 3 and Below Pathways.
• At Autumn Budget 2025, we announced over £1.5 billion of funding is being made available across the spending review period into the Youth Guarantee and the Growth and Skills Levy. This funds £820 million for the Youth Guarantee, ensuring all young people aged 16-24 years old have access to the support they need to earn and learn.