A Staffordshire college group has been named as part of a new West Midlands group helping to shape the rollout of new vocational qualifications.
Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, which includes Stafford College, is one of three West Midlands organisations listed by the Department for Education as “Qualification Practitioners”. The group has been set up to help share best practice as colleges and schools move towards new post GCSE qualification routes.
The announcement comes alongside a wider government package aimed at creating more construction industry placements and supporting new vocational qualifications.
The Department for Education says £96 million will be allocated nationally to create tens of thousands of placements on building sites for learners starting construction courses from September.
The funding forms part of the government’s £625 million Construction Skills Package, which aims to train up to 60,000 skilled workers by 2029.
The government says the construction industry is facing shortages, with Office for National Statistics figures showing more than 35,000 vacancies.
The changes also include plans for V Levels, which are due to sit alongside A Levels and T Levels from 2027.
V Levels will be equivalent to one A Level and are intended to allow students to combine academic and vocational subjects where they have not yet chosen a specialist route.
New subjects announced for delivery from 2028 include V Levels in construction design, engineering design and engineering manufacturing.
The government has also announced new Occupational Certificates in subjects including bricklaying, painting, plumbing, accounts and finance, and adult care worker.
Foundation Certificates are also planned in engineering, health, legal services and social care.
Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said
“We’re removing the snobbery from hands-on learning and putting it on par with academic to break down barriers for young people to get rewarding jobs.
“Our landmark vocational qualifications and placements will create a strong pipeline of workers by equipping young people with the real-world skills that employers need and that will fuel the jobs of the future.”
The other West Midlands organisations named in the Qualification Practitioners group are Heart of Worcestershire College and Three Spires Trust.
The Department for Education says new guidance has also been published to reduce restrictions around T Level industry placements, including removing limits on the percentage of remote hours a student can complete and how many employers they can work with.
For students in Stone and across Staffordshire, the changes could affect the range of post GCSE routes available through local colleges and training providers in the coming years.
