Technical Education

Today, Thursday 18 October, the Skills Minister Anne Milton, gave two speeches.

She spoke at the Institute for Apprenticeships (IFA) Trailblazer Summit in Manchester where she outlined the improving quality of apprenticeships, and the department’s plans for T Levels.

Later she spoke at the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB) conference in Leicester, where she detailed her ambition to simplify the technical education system.

These events come at an exciting time for employers and training providers, as we continue to see more of our new high quality apprenticeship standards being approved by the (IFA) in a range of exciting sectors like engineering and nursing.

To support the IFA in its important work we recently announced a further £5 million to help ensure that all new and existing standards continue to be of the highest quality. We also announced that from the start of 2020/21, all apprenticeship starts will be on the new higher quality standards.

Over the next two years, the National Apprenticeship Service is also focusing on raising the profile of apprenticeships particularly in disadvantaged areas. This includes a new employer engagement campaign across the most deprived local authority areas.

As well as this we are continuing to work with top employers and post-16 providers to develop and prepare for the roll out of our gold standard T Level qualifications. These high quality technical alternatives to A Levels will be available from 2020, starting with the routes of education and childcare, digital and construction.

In addition to today’s speeches, the Skills Minister visited Oldham Sixth Form College, which will be one of our first T Level providers from 2020.

Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton said:

It was fantastic to meet with students and staff at Oldham Sixth Form College. One of the best parts of my job is getting to meet people right across the country to learn about their experiences.

Colleges are such an important part of our education system, providing opportunities for people to get the skills they need to progress to jobs, higher education or further training. I met young people studying lots of different subjects with big plans for their future.

Oldham Sixth Form College will also play an important role in our reforms to technical education as one of the first to provide the new T Levels from 2020. I was really pleased to hear from them as they prepare for these exciting new qualifications to be rolled out.