TO BE PUBLISHED December 2024
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This conference will examine priorities and next steps for Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) in England, including what is currently working for the sector and what could be improved.
It will be an opportunity to look at the rollout of new HTQs in September 2024 and 2025 as part of the phased implementation in England, adding business, health, STEM, advisory and service sector qualifications.
With the Labour Party having put forward plans for the creation of Skills England, Technical Excellence Colleges and reform to the Apprenticeship Levy, and employer engagement in the skills system being highlighted as a focus, it will be an opportunity to consider new policy priorities in this area for the new Government.
Delegates will assess next steps following the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) consultation earlier this year, seeking views on how to strengthen technical skills at levels 4 to 6, and on which HTQs could be eligible for funding under the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE).
Sessions in the agenda will examine IfATE’s proposals for a larger range of approval categories in the aim of accommodating a broader choice of technical qualifications at levels 4 to 6. There will be discussion on next steps for shaping inclusive future training programmes, increasing the range of occupational routes, meeting green skill needs, and improving employer collaboration to meet learner demand.
Those attending will discuss latest thinking on improving the quality of provision and range of courses on offer, and offering more flexible and modular learning in light of IfATEs consultation on the LLE, as well as the way forward for improving outcomes for both students and employers.
Ways that uptake could be boosted will also be considered, following the Skills Commission finding a widespread lack of understanding of HTQs and their distinctiveness from apprenticeships among learners, parents, education providers and employers.
We also expect wider discussion on how to tackle barriers to HTE uptake, including strategies for promoting better awareness, and addressing concerns surrounding perceived financial disincentives for employers and individuals to pursue HTQs as an option due to uncertainty around the value of HTQs for employability.
The agenda also looks at key issues for employers, and implications for the economy and skills pipeline. Delegates will assess impact of proposed new Government reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy and options for giving employers greater flexibility in the use of the Levy to include HTQs. They will also discuss wider post-16 strategy proposals, including the establishment of Technical Excellence Colleges and a new Skills England body, to bring together business, training providers and unions to deliver the Industrial Strategy.
We are pleased to be able to include keynote contributions from: Graham Hasting-Evans, CEO, NOCN Group; and report Co-Chair, Higher Technical Qualifications: How to Liberate Employers & Skill Workers for the Future; and a senior speaker confirmed from the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE).
