December 2024
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This conference examined 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 was an opportunity to look at the rollout of new HTQs in September 2024 and ahead to further rollout in 2025 as part of the phased implementation in England, introducing business, health, STEM, advisory and service sector qualifications.
The conference followed the recent launch of Skills England which will be established in phases over the next 9-12 months, with aims to increase collaboration between businesses and the education sector and change the way young people are trained. Delegates looked at priorities for the new body, drawing on its first report Skills England: Driving growth and widening opportunities published in September 2024, as well as for reforming the Apprenticeship Levy to become the Growth and Skills Levy in light of the £40m investment announced in the Budget.
Those attending assessed next steps for HTQs following IfATE’s consultation earlier this year, which sought 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 examined IfATE’s proposals for a greater range of approval categories, with the aim of accommodating a broader choice of technical qualifications at levels 4 to 6. There was 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 discussed latest thinking on improving the quality of provision and range of courses on offer, and offering more flexible and modular learning in light of IfATE’s consultation on the LLE, as well as the way forward for improving outcomes for both students and employers.
Ways that uptake could be boosted were also 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 expected 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 their value for employability.
The agenda also looked at key issues for employers, and implications for the economy and skills pipeline. Delegates assessed the impact of the new Government’s proposed reforms to the Apprenticeship Levy and options for giving employers greater flexibility in the use of the Levy to include HTQs. Delegates discussed wider post-16 strategy proposals, including the establishment of Skills England body to bring together business, training providers and unions to deliver the Industrial Strategy, and the role of the £300m of funding in the Budget to help young people develop skills in further education.
We are pleased to have been able to include keynote sessions with: Peter Myant, Head, Higher Technical Education Strategy and Growth, DfE, Graham Hasting-Evans, CEO, NOCN Group; and report Co-Chair, Higher Technical Qualifications: How to Liberate Employers & Skill Workers for the Future; Imran Tahir, Research Economist, Institute for Fiscal Studies; Alex Hall-Chen, Principal Policy Advisor for Sustainability, Skills, and Employment, Institute of Directors; and Emma Roberts, Director, External Affairs, WorldSkills UK.
All delegates were able to contribute to the output of the conference, which will be shared with parliamentary, ministerial, departmental and regulatory offices. This includes the full proceedings and additional articles submitted by delegates. As well as key stakeholders, those that attended include officials from DfE; IfATE; DWP; DBT; HMPPS; NAO; ONS; IPO; DFHERIS, ROI; DfE, NI; DESNZ; DSIT; DfC, NI; MOJ; OLS; and the Welsh Government.
