Today more than 230,000 Level 2 BTEC students receive their grades, ready to take their next step to becoming a vital part of the UK workforce
Today, more than 230,000 students receive results for their Level 2 BTEC qualifications, moving on to the next step in their education or career path. More than 6 million people have completed a BTEC in the last ten years alone, and BTEC alumni have gone on to form a vital part of the UK and global workforce. #BTECL2Results
BTECs are high quality, future-focussed qualifications that provide learners with the knowledge, skills and behaviours they need to progress. Many of these students are on their journey into UK sectors that are currently in great demand. Included in the class of 2021 are many future healthcare professionals, engineers and construction workers who are so vital to the UK’s economy. This year:
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46,150 students will have completed a Level 2 BTEC in Health and Social Care
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23,900 in IT & Computing
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16,560 in Engineering or Construction
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3,950 in Applied Science
There is increasing demand from young people for BTEC courses in UK schools, with 200,000 students gaining a Level 2 BTEC in this setting this year. The combination of traditional academic learning with vocational and transferable skills allows young people to prepare for the possibilities that will be opened to them as the careers of the future evolve, and will be crucial in delivering the government’s ambition to level up. Level 2 BTECs are also taken by post-16 students who either move straight into work or progress into further learning or apprenticeships.
Association of Employment and Learning Providers research director Paul Warner said,
“There’s still a big job to do in making sure young people know what their options are and that’s why AELP has teamed up with the Careers and Enterprise Company to produce a new ‘What’s Next?’ resource (Technical Education Pathways Resource | CEC Resource Directory) which explains all of the main opportunities outside university that can put a young person on the road to a successful career. Apprenticeship vacancies are now running at record levels and therefore we urge parents and young people to use the government’s Find an Apprenticeship website to see what is available in the manufacturing, service and professional sectors (Find an apprenticeship – GOV.UK).
“AELP believes that popular and well-taught Applied Generals at levels 2 and 3 should be available as part of the choices which young people can make. The government needs to be cautious before deciding that T levels are the only level 3 option other than university or an apprenticeship.”
Cindy Rampersaud, Senior Vice President for BTEC and Apprenticeships, said:
“I’d like to say a heartfelt thank you to every teacher, tutor, lecturer, school and college leader and parent for the incredible effort they have made to support students achieving the grades they have worked so hard for this year. These students have come through another extraordinary year with the qualifications, skills and experience to prepare them for the next stage of their journey – be it into further study, an apprenticeship or into the world of work – providing the choice to progress to university later on as well – setting them up to follow their aspirations and succeed in their future careers and life. Congratulations to the class of 2021! We wish each and every one of you all the very best on your next steps.”
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About the 2021 grading process: The grading process this year has been adapted to reflect the challenges of this extraordinary year. In line with the process for A level and GCSE results set out by the Department for Education and regulator Ofqual, schools and colleges were asked to determine a final Qualification-level Teacher Assessed Grade (Q-TAG) for each of their BTEC learners:
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This year, the Department for Education and Ofqual (the regulator for both vocational and general qualifications) determined the methodology that all awarding organisations have used in 2021:
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Each student was assessed by their teacher on the evidence of their individual work (such as completed units or classwork). Schools and colleges were asked to determine a final Qualification-level Teacher Assessed Grade, or Q-TAG, for each of their BTEC learners – a holistic judgement based on the evidence that teachers have of the learner’s performance in the qualification. This is in line with the process used for A levels and GCSEs this year and has ensured that, despite the disruption, learners could complete this phase of education and move on with confidence.
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Pearson has conducted external quality assurance so that the grades awarded across the system can command confidence. It helps that teacher-led internal assessment has always been a large part of how BTECs are graded, so we used a repurposed version of this familiar and established assessment process to underpin the way we award qualification results this year.
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As in every year, there is an appeals process in place – If students have questions about their grades they should speak to their school or college about the appeals process in the first instance. More information can be found here: https://www.pearson.com/content/dam/one-dot-com/one-dot-com/uk/documents/Learner/FElearners/btec-appeals-guidance-2021.pdf
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Learn about this year’s BTEC Award winners here: https://www.pearson.com/uk/educators/fe-college-educators/about-btec/btec-awards/winners.html
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