Summary: Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper

The main changes and policies to be implemented, as set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, focus on reforming the system to drive economic growth, meet employer needs, and ensure high-quality, flexible pathways for all learners, particularly in England. In it’s article (screenshot above) the DfE have laid out a more conversational summary which you can find here: https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2025/10/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-new-higher-education-reforms/

The reforms cover three key areas: joining up skills and employment systems, developing a prestigious Further Education (FE) sector, and strengthening the Higher Education (HE) system.

1. Working with Employers and Joining up Skills and Employment Systems

A core objective is integrating the skills system with employment support and making training more agile and employer-focused.

Policy Changes for Employment and Training Access:

• Pathways to Work Guarantee: Introduced to guarantee access to specialist employment, health, and skills support for disabled people and those with health conditions who are out of work and on benefits, backed by £1 billion a year of new, additional funding by the end of the decade.

• Expansion of SWAP: Significant expansion of access to the Sector Based Work Academy Programme (SWAP), which provides training, work experience, and a guaranteed job interview.

• Adult Essential Skills Review: Review of the adult essential skills offer (English, maths, English for speakers of other languages, and digital skills) to ensure relevance for supporting progression into employment or further education, particularly aligning with priority skills gaps.

• Skills England: Establishment of Skills England to provide a data-driven national view of current and future skills needs, working with employers and local partners to inform funding decisions and target provision in priority sectors.

• Strategic Authorities: Given a stronger role, including joint ownership of the Local Skills Improvement Plan model, to join up skills, work, health, and transport interventions regionally.

Policies for Investment and Lifelong Learning:

• Growth and Skills Levy Flexibility: Employers will be able to use the levy on short, flexible training courses (called apprenticeship units) starting from April 2026, initially focused on critical areas like AI, digital, and engineering.

• Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE): Transformation of adult education funding, giving each individual access to four years’ worth of loan funding for higher level education or training (L4–L6) to be used throughout their working lives, including for shorter, modular courses. LLE applications start September 2026, with courses taught from January 2027.

• Sector Skills Packages: Tailored skills packages will be delivered in partnership with industry, including £625 million for construction skills, £187 million for digital/AI skills (‘Techfirst’), £182 million for engineering, and £182 million for the defence industry talent pipeline.

• Reducing Reliance on Migration: The Immigration Skills Charge will be raised by 32%. Access to the immigration system for employers in key sectors will be limited if they do not demonstrate a commitment to supporting domestic skills development and implementing appropriate sector Jobs Plans.

Policies for Young People (NEETs and Youth Guarantee):

• Youth Guarantee: This guarantees young people access to education, training, and/or help to get into work. As part of this, long-term youth unemployment will be ended by subsidising paid work placements. Young people on Universal Credit who remain unemployed for over 18 months will be offered a guaranteed job.

• Guaranteed College Place: An automatic guaranteed college place in reserve will be introduced for all 16-year-olds leaving school without a post-16 study plan.

• Work Experience: All students will receive at least 2 weeks’ worth of work experience over the course of their secondary education.

• Support for NEET identification: Reform how young people at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) are identified, tracked, and supported, including using data-driven ‘Risk of NEET’ indicator tools and guidance.

2. Further Education (FE) Sector Reforms

The system aims to accelerate a standards revolution, raising quality, and developing a specialist and prestigious FE sector.

Policy Changes for Teaching and Specialisation:

• Professional Development: Establishment of a coherent, career-long professional development pathway for FE teachers, reforming Initial Teacher Education (ITE) to raise quality standards, and strengthening the early career experience of new teachers.

• Industry Exchange: The concept of industry exchange will be embedded into in-service professional development to ensure teaching remains aligned with the latest industry standards.

• Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs): Introduction of TECs—FE colleges demonstrating excellent provision in growth-driving priority sectors. The programme is expanding to include advanced manufacturing, clean energy, digital/technologies, and defence, backed by £175 million. TECs will share best practices through a hub and spoke model.

• Funding and Investment: £1.2 billion of additional investment per year in skills by 2028-2029 will be provided. A 16-19 funding formula review will be undertaken to maximise impact and ensure sufficient funding reaches high-value courses (aimed for academic year 2027/28).

Policy Changes for Qualifications and Pathways:

• V Levels: The existing range of vocational technical qualifications at Level 3 will be replaced with ‘V Levels’, which will sit alongside A levels and T Levels, simplifying the vocational qualifications landscape for 16-to-19-year-olds.

• Level 2 Pathways: Development of two clear post-16 pathways at Level 2 (an occupational pathway and a further study pathway).

• English and Maths Qualifications: Introduction of new 16-19 English and maths preparation for GCSE level 1 qualifications for low prior attaining students (grade 2 or below) to consolidate foundational skills before they take a GCSE resit.

3. Strengthening Higher Education (HE) Sector

Reforms aim to align the HE system with economic needs, promote specialisation, and ensure financial sustainability and high quality.

Policy Changes for Funding and Sustainability:

• Tuition Fee Uplifts: Undergraduate tuition fee caps will be increased in line with forecast inflation in academic years 2026/27 and 2027/28. Legislation is planned for automatic, inflationary fee increases in future years.

• Quality Conditionality: Future fee uplifts will be conditional on HE providers achieving a higher quality threshold through the Office for Students’ (OfS) quality regime.

• Addressing Research Costs: Commitment to work with the sector and other funders to address the cost recovery of research. UK Research and Innovation grant conditions have been updated (e.g., equipment funded at 80% full economic cost).

• Research Assessment Reform: Development of REF2029 will be paused for up to three months to reset it and ensure it meets UK research and development ambitions, incentivising excellence and supporting specialisation.

Policy Changes for Access, Quality, and Regulation:

• Maintenance Grants and Levy: New targeted means-tested maintenance grants will be introduced for students from the lowest income households studying courses aligned with national missions and the Industrial Strategy. These grants will be funded by a new International Student Levy.

• Flexible Degrees (Break Points): Consultation on including break points in degree programmes (e.g., level 4 qualification after year 1, level 5 after year 2) to facilitate more flexible learning and progression.

• HTQ Awarding Powers: The OfS will develop new Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) awarding powers for providers as part of a wider review of degree awarding powers, simplifying the process for offering high-quality L4 and L5 courses.

• Single Regulator: The Office for Students will act as the primary regulator for all higher education providers offering provision at level 4 or above, including FE colleges delivering HE, to simplify the regulatory system for higher level study.

• Tackling Poor Quality: Stronger action will be taken to drive out poor quality, including defunding large franchise providers unless they register with the OfS, and strengthening the OfS’s powers to intervene rapidly where misuse of public money or fraud is identified.

• Safeguarding Free Speech: New expanded duties on HE providers to secure and promote freedom of speech and academic freedom will come into force from August 2025.

Goal Measurement:

Success of these reforms will be measured against specific targets, including a commitment for two-thirds of young people to participate in higher-level learning (academic, technical, or apprenticeships) by age 25, including a sub-target of at least 10% in level 4 or 5 study by 2040. Progress will also be measured by tracking skill shortage vacancies in priority sectors and the number of individuals starting priority courses

What is the impact on schools?

The Post-16 Education and Skills white paper outlines a reform agenda to build a world-leading skills system, focusing on creating a skilled workforce and driving economic growth. The potential impact on schools—especially secondary schools and school-based sixth forms—is substantial, primarily by strengthening their role and accountability in student transitions.

The key impacts on schools include:

• Strengthened Accountability and Duties: Schools will have new duties to support young people transitioning into post-16 study. This includes providing targeted support and revising guidance to help identify and support students at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training). Ofsted’s framework will be updated to reflect and enforce these strengthened requirements for schools to ensure pupils have a planned destination.
• Work Experience Requirement: The paper mandates the delivery of at least two weeks’ worth of work experience for all students over the course of their secondary education. This is intended to give all students, regardless of background, a deeper understanding of working life and support the transition to employment.
• Post-16 ‘Backstop’: An automatic guaranteed college place in reserve will be introduced for all 16-year-olds who do not have a confirmed plan following their GCSEs. This acts as a safety net to ensure “no one is left behind”.
• Competition for Sixth Forms: The push to develop a prestigious further education sector aims to ensure that college students have the “same access to opportunities as their peers in school sixth forms”. This move towards parity implies increased competition between school-based and college-based post-16 provision.

So what are the ‘next steps’?

The Post-16 Education and Skills white paper signals immediate priorities for secondary schools and sixth forms, primarily centered on strengthening accountability and preparing for major qualification reforms.

Strengthened Accountability and Student Transitions

In the coming months, schools are expected to focus heavily on student destination planning. The key next steps include:

• Enhanced Destination Tracking: Schools must intensify efforts to ensure every pupil has a clear post-16 plan (further study, apprenticeship, or employment). This involves identifying and providing early, targeted support to students at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training).
• Ofsted Alignment: Schools must adjust their careers guidance and transition support processes to align with the updated Ofsted framework, which will reflect and enforce these strengthened duties regarding student outcomes and planned destinations.

---

Preparation for Qualification Reform

Schools must also prepare for the most significant change: the introduction of new vocational pathways and a simplified qualification landscape.

• Engage with Consultations: The Department for Education (DfE) is launching consultations on the design and implementation of the new ‘V Level’ qualifications and two new Level 2 pathways. Schools should engage with these to ensure they are ready for the curriculum changes, even though the full rollout is expected to be phased until the 2027-28 academic year.
• Implement English & Maths ‘Stepping Stones’: Schools with post-16 provision will need to prepare for the introduction of new “stepping stone” qualifications in English and Maths. These are specifically targeted at students with lower attainment to better prepare them to achieve the mandatory GCSE Grade 4 pass post-16.

These steps require schools to allocate resources immediately to review careers provision, participate in DfE consultations, and plan for the new support structures and qualifications.

Would you like to get updates on new guidance and policy releases? Consider joining as a free member of AMHIE.