Helping shape the qualifications landscape

How we’re responding to the Department for Education’s new level 3 reforms and how you can help shape the future of qualifications.

The next few years will witness some dramatic changes across the post-16 qualifications landscape. Following significant consultation with the entire industry, the Department for Education (DfE) has introduced new reforms that will make a major impact on centres, learners, and employers alike.

But what are these changes, what impact will they make, and how can you get involved in the process? We’ve got the inside track on everything you need to know.

What are the reforms?

For the past few years, the DfE has been collaborating with key stakeholders across the industry to understand the efficacy of the qualifications market. They found that the landscape was too difficult for learners to navigate due to the sheer number of options available. In other words, learners were unable to work out which qualifications would most effectively get them into their career of choice.

The situation was no better for employers. As not all post-16 options were clearly aligned to the jobs market and its skills needs, employers were finding it difficult to bring in qualified new recruits and help their businesses grow. The system simply wasn’t working as effectively as it could.

The DfE's reforms change that. As part of the reforms, the DfE have proposed a new set of academic and technical qualifications that provide the necessary quality and rigour, but align closely with job needs, and don’t overlap with the existing A levels, T Levels and apprenticeship provision.

These will go live from September 2025 and September 2026, and we’re pleased to say that we’ll be adding one of them to our portfolio: Alternative Academic Qualifications.

What are Academic and Technical Qualifications?

The two new qualification types are designed to cater for specific routes. Academic routes (supported by Alternative Academic Qualifications, or AAQs for short) are more scholarly in nature and support progression to further and higher education. So, if learners want to head to university, this is the best option for them.

Technical routes (supported by the Technical Occupation Qualifications, TOQs for short) are designed to develop technical skills and some have an element of work experience to them. Learners who want to get into the workplace sooner rather than later are best taking this route.

The following table illustrates the options available to post-16 learners in the future reformed level 3 landscape.

Level 3

Technical Route

Option 1

=

Apprenticeships

Option 2

=

T Levels

Option 3

=

New Technicals

Academic Route

Option 4

=

Option 5

Option 6*

A Levels

+

=

Option 7

Option 8

+

A Levels

=

A Levels

+

A Levels

+

Small AAQ

A Levels

+

Small AAQ

+

Small AAQ

A Levels

=

+

Large AAQ***

=

Large AAQ **

*For students on a part-time study programme, students with lower prior attainment at Level 2, students with special educational needs and disabilities and those with exceptional circumstances **720glh (performing arts, sport, or craft and design). *** 1080glh (performing arts, sport, or craft and design).

In the updated guidance published in Nov 2023, the DfE have confirmed that "a study programme containing a large technical qualification combined with small AAQs or A levels to form mixed technical programmes at level 3 may also benefit some students. The technical qualification must form the core of such a mixed technical study programme. We will set a minimum requirement for the technical component of 450 guided learning hours to secure this outcome. Such a mixed technical study programme must also provide coherent learning in a clear individual learning plan and the outcome must be technical competence and progression to skilled employment.

The below table outlines the entire post-16 reformed qualifications landscape from entry level to level 3.

Level 3

Technical

TOQs*
Support learners to progress to skilled employment or higher level technical study.

Apprenticeships

T Levels

Academic

Other Academic Qualifications**
Supports learners to progress to further and higher education academic courses.

A Levels

AAQs

*Occupational Entry, Additional Specialist, Cross-cutting functional, Employer Proposed. **IB Diploma, Access to HE Diploma, Core Maths, Performing Arts Graded Examinations, Advanced Extension Awards, Extended Project Qualifications.

Level 2

Technical

Technical Progression Qualifications
Support progression to technical qualifications that are not delivered as part of a T Level programme.

T Level Foundation Qualifications
Supports progression to T Levels.

Academic

Academic Progression Qualifications
Support progression to AAQs. Only available in approved AAQ subjects at Level 3.

Level 1

Technical

Progression Qualifications
Support progression to higher level technical and academic qualifications.

Academic

Progression Qualifications
Support progression to higher level technical and academic qualifications.

Entry Level

Technical

Progression Qualifications
Support progression to level 1 progression qualifications.

Academic

Progression Qualifications
Support progression to level 1 progression qualifications.

To make sure these qualifications get the support and financial backing they need, some qualifications that don’t fit within the new structure will lose their funding. More information about the affected qualifications is available through the DfE.

If you have any questions about defunding, get in touch and we’ll be happy to help out. You can find out more about our rollout plan for AAQs on our dedicated page.

How can you get involved?

We want to make our approach to AAQs the best it can be, so throughout the development process, we’ll be collaborating with people and organisations from across the education landscape. The aim is to make each qualification and its associated resources as innovative, transformational, and industry-leading as everything else we offer, but to do that we need your help.

So if you want to join us in designing qualifications that deliver on the needs of learners, teaching staff, and employers, check out the ways you can get involved below and drop us a line at qualifications@tquk.org.

Ways to get involved…

If you’re a subject matter expert you can support in the design, development, and review of new qualifications and assessment content.

If you’re a provider you can help with the provision of letters of support to indicate recognition and demand for our qualifications.

If you’re an employer or other stakeholder you can help us develop and review content to ensure it's aligned to technical occupational routes and gives learners a clear progression path into employment.