Funding to BTEC qualifications is set to plummet as the government looks to reduce technical qualifications as part of its post-16 education bill. The move has been lambasted as a strangulation on recruitment streams for working-class students and for sectors like nursing.
Some BTECs could lose funding as early as 2023 which university leaders say is rushed and potentially damaging for healthcare industries.
The government plan to drop BTECs in favour of the new ‘T-level’ qualifications which have higher entry requirements due to longer work placements and subject specifications. This is where the issue arises as the entry level may be out of reach for those who do not perform as well in their GCSEs.
In 2020 less than 1,300 students took T-levels compared to 250,000 taking BTECs. University leaders warn the transition to T-levels could adversely affect an entire generation of young people.
The question remains why does the government want to change something that is successful and accessible?
