Asked by: Mohammad Yasin (Labour - Bedford)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support schools and colleges to adapt their curriculum offering following the withdrawal of the WJEC Level 3 qualification in criminology (a) where the qualification was a significant component of vocational education programmes and (b) generally.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
The intentions of the reforms to qualifications at Level 3 and below are to streamline the qualifications landscape, simplify choices for students, and only fund qualifications that are high-quality and lead to good progression outcomes. By ensuring that approved qualifications meet new, more rigorous criteria, young people can be confident that they will be able to progress to university and higher technical education and directly into apprenticeships and skilled employment.
Qualification reform puts A levels and T Levels at the heart of study programmes. Qualifications reforms are being undertaken in cycles.
Criminology qualifications will be considered in cycle 2 of the qualification’s reforms. An announcement, on which qualifications will be approved and which will see funding removed, will be made in 2025 and will be implemented from 1 August 2026. For students interested in the police, prison service, and other uniformed or emergency services, large applied general qualifications in uniformed protective services will remain funded until 2026. After this, qualifications in these subjects will either be approved as small alternative academic qualifications (AAQs), or technical qualifications mapped against relevant Level 3 occupational standards. Criminology is contained in the sector subject area of sociology and social policy. This sector subject area also contains a sociology A level which will serve students wishing to progress to higher education.
Students will have the option to choose A levels or a mixed study programme. A student aspiring to be a police constable for example, could study a small AAQ alongside appropriate A levels such as law, physical education, or sociology. Alternatively, they can study a relevant technical occupational entry qualification, which will be based on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education approved occupational standards. These have been designed by employers to give the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for the occupations to which they pertain. Consequently, criminology has not been listed as an area where the department would accept a small AAQ.
Over the last six months the department has invited all providers to attend one of ten in-person events in five cities across England to support them in understanding the details and timeline for reform and to provide information to help planning and designing their curriculum offer. The department has launched a set of web pages that provide colleges with the information they need. These web pages can be found here: https://support.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/sections/16829562632850-Qualifications-Review.
The department will continue to support schools and colleges through online information, future guides and events as the dates where the new qualifications landscape is introduced move closer.
Asked by: Helen Grant (Conservative - Maidstone and The Weald)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to encourage take up of degree-level apprenticeships.
Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)
Degree-level apprenticeships (Levels 6 and 7) provide people with high-quality training and are important in supporting productivity, social mobility and widening participation in higher education and employment. There are now over 170 degree-level apprenticeships available in exciting occupations such as Doctor and Nuclear Scientist. More broadly, the department has now developed nearly 700 high-quality apprenticeship standards with employers, so today nearly 70% of occupations are available via an apprenticeship.
The department has seen year-on-year growth of degree-level apprenticeships, with 229,970 starts since their introduction in the 2014/15 academic year. The department want to further accelerate the growth of degree level apprenticeships and are providing an additional £40 million over two financial years to support providers expand their offers, improving access to young people and disadvantaged groups. The department has also teamed up with UCAS so that students can now see apprenticeship vacancies on their service, putting apprenticeships on an equal footing with traditional academic routes, and continuing outreach work in schools and colleges through the Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme.
Apr. 25 2024
Source Page: Evaluation of virtual school heads (VSHs)Found: allowing funding to support CLA/CLs in Years 12 and 13 of schools and employment schemes (e.g., apprenticeships
Written Evidence Apr. 25 2024
Inquiry: Devolution of employment supportFound: between 1/3 and 2/3 of employers will not touch a publicly funded employment scheme be it DWP or apprenticeships
Written Evidence Apr. 25 2024
Inquiry: Devolution of employment supportFound: We would also look to reduce the qualifications needed for certain Apprenticeships, which for people
Written Evidence Apr. 25 2024
Inquiry: Devolution of employment supportFound: recruitment channels including jobs fairs, and develop local training programmes, traineeships and apprenticeships
Written Evidence Apr. 25 2024
Inquiry: Devolution of employment supportFound: However, major policy programmes such as apprenticeships, T-Levels or the New Deal are targeted to generate
Written Evidence Apr. 25 2024
Inquiry: Devolution of employment supportFound: Support (IPS) employment services in NHS drug/alcohol treatment centres); Learn Plus Us (a skills and apprenticeships
Written Evidence Apr. 25 2024
Inquiry: Devolution of employment supportFound: working with the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s charity to bring in employers to expand access to apprenticeships
Written Evidence Apr. 25 2024
Inquiry: Devolution of employment supportFound: stop’ all-age service bringing together careers’ advice, employment support, training and apprenticeships