A win for young people and techUK: Government boosts technical and vocational education
This week the Prime Minister announced a major shake-up to secondary education, committing to new technical routes in schools for 14-year-olds from 2028. As Mayor of Greater Manchester, the Prime Minister introduced the Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) which created a framework for technical education as an alternative to the academic English Baccalaureate (EBacc), and is now taking this approach national.
In addition, government has said it will fully fund youth apprenticeships for growth and skills levy payers who have exhausted their levy funds. And, in order to reduce barriers to vocational and technical training for young people, a further announcement committed to the creation of bursaries of up to £4,500 to address the impact of young people taking up apprenticeships on family Universal Credit payments.
techUK welcomes these proposals, which directly reflect recommendations we have made to government. Our Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR) response recommended that government explore a vocational-technical pathway at Key Stage 4, giving parity with academic routes and a clear line into training like apprenticeships and T Levels. And we told both the Milburn Review and the Work and Pensions Committee that ensuring the benefits system does not penalise young people through the benefits system for pursuing development opportunities will be key.
Key announcements include:
- 14-year-olds will get earlier access to technical education, skills training, work experience and connections with employers.
- Ofsted will change the way they measure and inspect schools, ensuring they recognise the quality of technical education and the support aimed at preparing young people for work.
- A new bursary, worth up to £4,500 per year per household, will remove a barrier that can otherwise discourage young people from taking up an apprenticeship, helping them build the skills and independence that lead to long-term, well-paid work. The bursary will be funded through the £1 billion additional investment in the Growth and Skills Levy.
- Thousands more college places to expand access to skills and training close to home.
- Free apprenticeship training for all eligible under-25s from August, up to £8,000 in support for SMEs hiring young apprentices, and National Insurance Contributions (NICs) relief for apprentices under 25 will help deliver 50,000 new youth apprenticeships.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement on new technical pathways in schools, Nimmi Patel, Associate Director - Skills & Talent Policy said:
“techUK has been strongly in favour of a technical pathway at Key Stage 4 that stands on equal footing with academic routes, and the government’s announcement is a positive step in that direction. Technical and vocational education is how many young people will find their way into careers in areas like engineering, digital technologies and AI, and a clearer line of sight from school to skilled careers is needed. The commitment is welcome, but what matters now is providing clarity on the detail and ensuring schools are equipped with the teachers, funding and industry links that can deliver it by 2028.”
Funding for levy-payer youth apprenticeships
Government’s announcement that it will fully fund youth apprenticeships for levy-paying employers who have used their funds from 1 August, partially rowing back changes that would have seen a significant increase in co-investment costs, are a positive move that will help create more opportunities for young people. This is an important intervention, especially as more SMEs are being drawn into levy-payer status due to frozen wage thresholds and would face particularly acute barriers.
Tackling the benefits penalty for apprentices
The introduction of a £4,500 bursary is a direct response to a problem techUK has raised on numerous occasions: young people taking up apprenticeships can see their family's Universal Credit reduced, effectively penalising them for choosing a technical route over full-time education. It is encouraging to see steps to address this, particularly in light of the growing number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
Delivering a technical pathway at Key Stage 4
New technical education options from a younger age offer real opportunity to enable school-age children to pursue routes into critical areas for the future, from engineering and advanced manufacturing to digital technology, AI and the creative industries. Notably, in the MBacc model, digital skills are core qualifications and part of every career pathway alongside English, Maths and Science. Seeing this replicated in the national system would be especially welcome, recognising the critical importance of digital skills to navigating careers across a diversity of sectors in the future.
Questions for government
The commitment raises key questions about how it will actually work in practice. The biggest is how schools will be resourced and supported to deliver new technical pathways by 2028, with proper funding and effective collaboration with industry. Teachers, employer engagement and infrastructure are what will make or break this pledge. There must also be clarity about how Ofsted adapts to oversee effective technical provision, and how recently consulted on changes to Progress 8 may evolve in light of this proposal.
Indeed, this commitment arrives at a time when government is already considering changes to the school curriculum. Following the CAR, a revised national curriculum is due for consultation shortly, and is set be introduced from September 2028. This timeline coincides with the expected introduction of new technical routes, and sits in the context of wider reforms to post-16 education including V Levels, raising questions over how these interact and the implications for committed curriculum overhaul.
Furthermore, as part of the announcement, government has said particular routes will align with local strengths and where jobs of the future are being created, underpinned by collaboration between mayors, education and industry. While this does present some clear benefits, in terms of shaping the offer around opportunities and industries in local areas, it will be important to strike a balance that enables young people who follow these new technical pathways to seek career opportunities in growth sectors across the country.
And if these changes are to deliver a step-change in the education system, they must be accompanied by effective careers guidance for students that enables young people to make informed decisions at Key Stage 4 and does not view technical and vocational pathways as a secondary route for ‘non-academic’ students.
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