Delivering Higher Technical Qualifications under licence

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) are qualifications at higher education level, approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IfATE) in England. 

Get in touch with a member of our team

Our HTQ portfolio

Pearson’s portfolio of 42 HTQs have been designed and validated by industry experts, prior to approval by IfATE. We currently have HTQs across 8 different sectors, including: Business, Construction, Computing, Digital Technologies, Early Years, Engineering, Healthcare and Sport.

View a full list of our approved HTQs

Delivering HTQs

Universities and Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in England with awarding powers can now deliver ‘off the shelf’ HTQs in the same way as any other Higher Nationals under licence. These HTQs can be offered under the Intellectual Property (IP) licence agreement, as the university's own awarded HTQ, saving time, energy, and resource to get on with what is important. 

These approved HTQs can be validated, delivered, quality assured and awarded in the same way as your own qualifications (subject to the content1 being delivered and assessed in its entirety and not being amended in any way).

Higher quality

Our BTEC Higher National HTQs are designed in collaboration with industry experts to ensure learners gain the skills employers want and need. 

Higher choice

Choose from 42 courses across Pearson’s portfolio of approved HTQs, and deliver your chosen courses straight ‘off the shelf’.

Higher support

Our dedicated Licensed Higher Nationals Team are here to support you throughout each stage ensuring you can deliver our HTQs with confidence.

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“Our suite of Higher Nationals HTQs provides students with an internationally recognised qualification highly valued by local employers. These qualifications not only equip students with sought-after skills but also assure employers that students possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviours to meet industry requirements. Thank you to Pearson for their continued support in enabling us to offer Higher Nationals within our portfolio.” 

Dr Brendan Coulson PFHEA, Head of Technical Education, Nottingham Trent University

Developing new HTQs

Pearson also supports HEIs who wish to develop their own or work collaboratively to co-design the HTQ. If you do wish to develop your own Higher Technical Qualifications in any sector/subject that we do not offer the HTQs or if our approved HTQs do not meet your local need, then please do get in touch and we do support this under our Higher Nationals Trademark licence agreement. For example, the BTEC Higher National Diploma in Early Years Professional Leadership for England, which was co-designed with Nottingham Trent University, and is available for first teach as an HTQ in September 2025. 

It is important to note that advanced consent is required before you embark on your journey of developing any HTQs under TM Licence agreement.

Find further information on different scenarios in our HTQ consent grid

Get in touch

If you are interested in delivering Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) at your University or Higher Education Institution, and would like somebody from the Pearson team to contact you to discuss the opportunities available to you, please fill out the below form.

If you are a student, please visit our support pages.