14-19 Progression Pathways including Technical Qualifications with Progress 8 Sue Clarke DfE: 16-19 policy and technical education

Meet Sam Sam wants a career in digital skills The local FE colleges all offer different qualifications – they all look good in the prospectus, but Sam doesn’t know which qualifications will be accepted by employers when she comes to apply for a job Employment websites were no help – all employers seemed to want was experience Sam wants to keep her options open with a view to possibly returning to academic study later on, so her school advises her to spend two years studying A levels before she specialises in digital skills

What does Sam’s story tell us about the current system? The current skills system is incredibly complex, with over 13,000 competing qualifications for 16–18 year-olds. This causes confusion for schools, providers, employers, students and parents Many of the available qualifications do not prepare students for employment. Many are low quality – only 173 meet the DfE tech level requirements Work experience lasting 1 or 2 weeks does not give students the opportunity to develop the specific practical knowledge and skills for the profession they are pursuing Students feel that they are ‘locked into’ their choice of either academic or technical education at 16. There is no clear pathway if they want to switch. Too many students see A levels as the ‘safe’ option, then switch to technical education after 1 or 2 years, often at the same or lower level

How will the reforms help Sam? Sam will be offered two clear pathways – one academic and one technical Within the technical option, students will be able to choose between college based study or an apprenticeship Bridging provision will enable students to move between pathways at age 18 Sam can begin her technical education knowing that it will give her the opportunity to progress to higher education if that is what she wants Sam is expected to get good GCSEs. But if she needed more time to develop her basic skills, Sam could start with a ‘transition year’ The transition year will support young people to develop realistic career plans, and offer tailored education to help them to achieve those plans. Literacy and numeracy will be key elements

The two pathways, with bridging provision Skilled employment Higher education (undergraduate degree) Higher education (undergraduate degree) Higher education (level 4/5 technical education) Degree apprenticeships and higher apprenticeships Bridging provision (where appropriate) A levels and/or Applied General qualifications A levels and/or applied general qualifications** College-based technical education including placement in industry Employment-based technical education, eg apprenticeship in industry with some college-based education Transition year (If appropriate) Transition year and/or traineeship (If appropriate) GCSEs and Technical Awards GCSEs and Technical Awards Academic option Technical education option GCSEs and technical awards – progress 8

How will the reforms help Sam? There will be two clear pathways – one academic and one technical There will be 15 routes, each covering a cluster of occupations Occupational standards, set by employers, will underpin all technical education, with one standard per occupation A single organisation will be granted an exclusive licence to develop and deliver the qualification that meets the standard set by employers So, Sam won’t be faced with the bewildering range of courses that are available today

The 15 new technical routes to skilled employment Construction Bricklayer/mason Electrician Building/civil engineering technician Construction supervisor Carpenter/joiner (1,625,448) Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care Park ranger Conservationist Agricultural Technician Horticulturalist Farmer (454,726) (2,204,478) Business and Administrative Office manager Human resources officer Administrative officer Housing officer Catering and Hospitality Chef Events manager Catering manager Butcher Baker (568,998) (1,060,804) Childcare and Education Nursery assistant Early years officer Teaching assistant Youth worker Creative and Design Arts producer Audio-visual technician Journalist Upholsterer Graphic designer (529,573) Digital Programmer Software developer Network administrator Web designer IT technician (351,649) Hair and Beauty (293,004) Hairdresser Beauty therapist Barber Engineering and Manufacturing Vehicle mechanic Engineering technician Energy plant operative Process technician Aircraft fitter (1,319,645) Legal, Finance and Accounting (1,325,482) Paralegal Accounting technician Financial account manager Legal secretary Payroll manager Health and Science Dental nurse Laboratory technician Pharmaceutical technician Sports therapist Nursing assistant (915,979) Route name Examples of occupations to which the route could lead (Number employed in occupations within route, excluding graduate roles) Social Care Care worker Residential warden Welfare counsellor Probation officer Home carer (865,941) Transport and Logistics Ship’s officer Railway signalling technician HGV driver (589,509) Protective Services (398,400) Police officer Non-commissioned officer Maritime operations officer Fire service officer Sales, Marketing and Procurement Buyer Procurement officer Sales account manager Market research analyst Estate agent (957,185) We expect these routes to be delivered primarily through apprenticeships.

How will the reforms help Sam? There will be two clear pathways – one academic and one technical There will be 15 routes, each covering a cluster of occupations Occupational maps show the relationship between occupations in each route An occupational map will be developed for each route, clustering occupations that share knowledge, skills and behaviour requirements Sam will find that she has a clear pathway from her level 3 qualification to more specialised occupations at level 4 and above if she wants to continue her education

Occupational map – Digital skills Pathways Entry technical occupations Higher technical occupations Professional occupations IT support and services IT Support & Services Technician Cyber Security Technician Cyber security Professional Hardware, Networks & Infrastructure Technician IT Systems Technician IT Systems Professional Software design & development Software Development Technician Software Development Advanced Technician Software Development Professional Digital Business Digital Business Technician Digital Solutions Technician Digital Solutions Professional Business Information Technician Digital Business Advanced Technician Digital Business Professional

How will the reforms help Sam? There will be two clear pathways – one academic and one technical There will be 15 routes, each covering a cluster of occupations Occupational maps show the relationship between occupations in each route All qualifications will require students to undertake an occupation- specific work placement to allow them to develop the practical knowledge, skills and requirements of the profession they are pursuing Placements will be substantial; typically up to 3 months Successful completion of the placement will be a requirement for full certification at the end of the study programme Sam will be able to demonstrate to future employers that she understands the needs of the work-place and that she can do the job

How can schools help pupils to progress to technical education? Offer all students a broad education that does not limit their choices post-16 This doesn’t have to be solely academic – there is a range of high quality tech awards available to 14-16 year olds There should be a strong focus on English and maths – pupils need to understand that achievement of these subjects at GCSE can impact on post- 16 choices and employment These principles underpin the introduction of the progress 8 measure. Linda is going to tell you more about that

Further questions Please do contact us with further questions or issues: Technical.education@education.gov.uk