New Vocational GCSEs to Replace Technical Awards

• New Vocational GCSEs for students to study vocational courses at school, with nationally-set content, grading and assessment, alongside a strong academic core of English, maths and science,
• Vocational GCSEs to sit alongside traditional GCSEs and replace existing Technical Awards, helping create pathways to A, V and T Levels, and employment, apprenticeships and university
• Work experience for all teenagers, as new National Mission on Work Experience to create 200,000 more opportunities to plug the current gap 
• Delivers on Prime Minister’s commitment to make sure the hard hat is every bit as valued as the graduation cap and give young people a clear line of sight to the world of work, no matter where they live

Every young person across the country will be able to pursue prestigious new Vocational GCSEs and access work experience in a major shake-up of the education system to prepare them for the world of work.

Delivering on the Prime Minister’s commitment in his first week in the role to put technical education on an equal footing with the traditional academic path, the new national qualifications will be created to sit alongside traditional GCSEs and will replace the current Technical Awards.

Part of action to revolutionise technical and vocational learning, the rigorous new qualifications will help ensure today’s students have the skills for the jobs of the future.

The shake-up builds on reforms including new V Levels, Occupational and Foundational Certificates and expanded T Levels – giving young people more routes to a brighter future, ensuring they have a clear line of sight to employment, and helping to tackle the crisis of the 1 million young people who are out of education, employment or training.  

Alongside revolutions inside the classroom, the government is launching a National Mission on Work Experience, working alongside the Good Growth Business Forum and other businesses, to boost opportunities outside the classroom.

Call to arms to employers to provide an additional 200,000 work experience placements

It is a call to arms to employers to provide an additional 200,000 work experience placements to ensure all young people have vital exposure to the workplace between 14 and 16, with Mayors and local authorities helping to make links between schools and employers. This could include spending time in key sectors including accountancy firms, digital media companies and construction companies. Employers can contact their local Careers Hub to pledge new work experience placements.

No10 North will establish work experience placements for 14-16 year old students this academic year

Alongside businesses, No10 North will establish work experience placements for 14-16 year old students this academic year. This will give young people the chance to see into the heart of government, experience the world of work, and demonstrate the real opportunities available to them on their doorstep

It is part of the Prime Minister’s mission to fix the most difficult issues facing the country, and create opportunities in every postcode. 

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said:

“We’ve all heard someone say ‘school wasn’t really for me’ because they were not given the chance to study vocational courses as well as traditional subjects.

“That one-size-fits-all approach isn’t working, so we’re building an education system that values both academic and technical paths.

“I want to give all young people across Britain the hope that their future will be brighter – whether it starts at university or not.”

Education Secretary Lucy Powell said:

“Young people today are entering a world of work full of exciting opportunities. We need to prepare them for it. Time and again young people, parents and employers tell me they want schools to do more to help them understand and prepare for the jobs of the future.

“That is why we are transforming technical education and ensuring every young person can access the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to thrive in a changing world.

“Our new Vocational GCSEs will give young people a stronger connection to the careers and industries shaping our economy, helping them discover and develop their talents while maintaining high standards across our education system.

“This is not about creating different routes for different children. It is about ensuring every child has access to a rich and ambitious education that opens doors, creates opportunity and prepares them for life beyond the classroom.”

The same size as GCSEs, these new qualifications will be nationally set, with subject content based on subject expert advice. Assessment and grading will be regulated by Ofqual to ensure full parity with traditional GCSEs.

They will eventually replace existing Technical Awards, which currently vary by provider with no nationally set content, and do not consistently support progression to further study.

Available in some subjects from as early as September 2029

They are set to be available in some subjects from as early as September 2029, as part of broader new technical pathways starting in September 2028. Subject options could include Business Management and Finance, Creative Media Production, Digital Tech, Child Development, and Building and Construction, supporting progression into further study through T Levels and V Levels in these subjects, or through A Levels.

New subjects will be developed as part of a review of existing GCSEs and new Vocational GCSEs

New subjects will be developed as part of a review of existing GCSEs and new Vocational GCSEs, to create a complementary set of qualifications that give students greater choice, but avoid duplication or unnecessary overlap. English, Maths and Science will remain a common entitlement. Together, the qualifications on offer at age 14 will be aligned to 16-19 progression routes including A Levels, T Levels and the new V Levels. 

Aligned to 16-19 progression routes including A Levels, T Levels and the new V Levels. 

The work to move away from a one-size-fits-all system designed in Whitehall was kicked off earlier this month as the Education Secretary hosted a summit at No10 North with mayors, businesses, schools and colleges.

Sir Hamid Patel CBE, Chief Executive of Star Academies, said:

“Over the past two decades, we have strengthened GCSEs through greater rigour, clearer and more coherently sequenced subject content, and more robust assessment. These reforms extend those same high standards into vocational education, ensuring qualifications are underpinned by nationally agreed content, strong regulatory oversight and clear progression routes into apprenticeships, T Levels, V Levels, A Levels, higher education and employment.

“The new vocational GCSEs have the potential to command the confidence of parents, employers, colleges and universities alike, while providing young people with meaningful pathways into high-skilled careers. Importantly, they will sit alongside a strong core academic education, ensuring that pupils continue to study the essential subjects that underpin future success. Crucially, they can help ensure that education is better aligned to the skills and workforce needs of local communities and regional economies, supporting the growth ambitions of mayors and combined authorities across the country.”

John Yarham, Chief Executive Officer, The Careers & Enterprise Company, said:

“We welcome the national mission on work experience. High-quality pathways, alongside modern work experience, are vital to bringing the world of work to life and giving young people the skills and knowledge they need for their future. 

“Employers of all sizes and sectors tell us they see real benefits from outreach that builds diverse future talent. To make this happen at scale, we need an ambitious shared framework, underpinned by strong local coordination, so opportunities are targeted where they can have the greatest impact – particularly for young people currently missing out.

“CEC stands ready to work with our Careers Hub partners in every region, connecting employers with schools and colleges to create more high-quality opportunities and bridge the gap between education and the world of work.”

Michelle Ovens CBE, CEO & Founder of Small Business Britain, said:

“We’re pleased to see the government’s mission to boost work experience opportunities for young people. Small businesses across the country are often where young people get their first exposure to the world of work, helping them build practical skills and experience, while also playing a vital role in strengthening local and regional economies.

“Stronger public-private partnerships between government, education and business are vital to ensuring young people leave education with the skills, experience, and confidence they need to navigate the world of work, and that small businesses are equipped to help provide those opportunities.”

Sarah Bradbury, Chief Executive of IGD, said:

“Modern work experience has the power to open young people’s eyes to careers they may never have considered and give them the skills and confidence to take that first step into work. Through our industry-wide Feeding Britain’s Future movement, businesses within the food and drink industry are trialling a new, flexible approach in partnership with The Careers & Enterprise Company, that brings employers together to create meaningful work experiences at scale. The food and drink industry is the UK’s largest private sector employer and we want young people to see the huge range of opportunities it offers. We welcome the national mission on work experience and stand ready to work with industry to bridge the gap between schools, colleges and the world of work.”

Shevaun Haviland CBE, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce said:

“Business leaders are deeply committed to their communities and want to support young people on their journey from education to employment.

“That’s why the British Chambers of Commerce is pleased to support the National Mission on Work Experience, and will work through our Chambers, who are already closely engaged with both businesses and schools across the country, to rally local employers to the cause.

“Expanding access to work experience and increased business engagement in schools is critical to supporting the workforce of tomorrow. It is welcome that this government initiative is being delivered in partnership with business organisations”.

Irene Graham, CEO, ScaleUp Institute, said:

“Scaling firms, across sectors and regions, are strong supporters of work experience. This National Mission is a vital one to help young people’s entry in to the world of the work and the ScaleUp Institute looks forward to supporting the initiative as it develops.”

Rt Hon Robert Halfon, Executive Director of Made UK said:

“Manufacturers and Make UK support the Government’s commitment to expanding technical education from the age of 14. Employers need the next generation of engineers and manufacturing workers, and the Prime Minister is right that the gap between the classroom and the workplace has to be bridged if that need is to be met. What matters now is quality. Technical education only works when it is taught to a high standard, and expansion without rigour would fail the young people it is meant to serve.

“A young person working towards an engineering qualification is doing hard maths, applied physics and problem-solving under real constraints. There is nothing soft about it. The right mix of technical knowledge and practical application of skills is vital for all young people, and delivering it demands qualifications employers recognise, teachers with real industry experience, and workshops equipped to modern standards. Get that right and technical education becomes a genuine ladder of opportunity into skilled, well-paid careers.

“Make UK has long argued for technical education to begin earlier and for industry and education to work far more closely together, so that young people leave with the knowledge and skills that employers value. The Government has taken positive steps towards this and has the manufacturing sector’s support in holding standards high as it does so.”

Responding after the government announced plans to establish new vocational GCSEs, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“We welcome the principle of ensuring vocational and technical subjects have parity with academic options, and these new GCSEs could help achieve that, offering more flexible and appropriate pathways for different students.

“If delivered in the right way, these GCSEs have the potential to increase awareness among parents and students of alternatives to more traditional academic routes, and boost the status and esteem in which vocational and technical options are held.  

“In recent years, the content behind too many GCSEs became unwieldy and the over-reliance on final exams did not play to the strengths of all students. It will be crucial these pitfalls are avoided in developing these qualifications and that the government works closely with educators, local leaders and employers to ensure they offer high-quality learning which sets young people up for future training, education or employment.”

Commenting on the government’s plans to introduce new Vocational GCSEs, Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:

“Reshaping and rebadging vocational and technical qualifications is well-intentioned but will not in itself address the barriers to more young people taking these subjects. Reform needs to be accompanied by a strategy to ensure that schools have the staffing and resources to deliver them, and a campaign to raise public awareness of vocational and technical routes. We’re pleased to see that the government intends to adjust school performance measures to reflect these new qualifications but it is essential that this change genuinely provides flexibility between vocational and academic pathways.

“Without this wider action, revamping qualifications will simply mean more upheaval and workload for hard-pressed schools, without actually achieving the objective of boosting vocational and technical pathways. We would also question why it is necessary to call these qualifications Vocational GCSEs, when genuine parity of esteem would be better served by simply calling them GCSEs, in line with existing academic qualifications.

“Schools will welcome the launch of a national mission to source work experience opportunities for young people. These placements are often extremely difficult to secure and more support from employers is badly needed to give young people the invaluable opportunity to gain real-world workplace experience.”

Responding to the government’s announcement on vocational GCSEs, AoC Chief Executive David Hughes said:

“We are delighted to see this announcement in support of the Prime Minister’s promotion of young people having the opportunity to explore more vocational and technical options from 14. Whenever they are asked, young people say they want to learn relevant skills to help them see a route into work after school and college. This announcement should help to achieve that, resulting in more young people feeling engaged and motivated by education at a crucial stage in their lives.
 
“At the design stage, it will be crucial to work with the college sector to dovetail new KS4 qualifications with post-16 T levels, V Levels and occupational certificates to ensure they do help young people make a flying start at 16 when they be embark on their technical learning routes.

“Colleges are ideal partners for schools in delivering the new qualifications because they offer industry standard facilities, staff experience and links to employers which will mean the learning experience is authentically different to school and properly employment focused.
 
“The national mission on work experience should also embrace and bring into one place the promotion of post-16 work experience to employers to ensure that all young people on T Levels and other study programmes have access to high-quality work placements. 
 
“We are ready to work with central government, and locally in partnership with strategic authorities, business and schools to make this the exciting reality it can be for young people.”

Milburn

Alan Milburn’s interim report into NEETs commissioned by the government warned that Britain is at risk of a “lost generation”. His findings painted a stark picture of a system that too often leaves young people leaving school without the skills, experience or connections they need to step into the world of work. 

He pointed to “strong evidence” that practical learning is effective in helping those at risk of being NEET move into work.

The White Working Class Inquiry also laid bare the lack of opportunity for working-class children to thrive, concluding that the technical and vocational system is broken for disadvantaged groups. 

It highlighted that vocational and technical routes are valued highly by white working-class families, and recommend a major structural overhaul of technical and vocational routes to help close the disadvantage gap.