Highlights of the week ending 15 October
This week saw an impassioned Report Stage debate as members of the House of Lords continued their scrutiny of the Skills and Post-16 Education Bill. Former ministers, Lord Baker, Lord Blunkett, and Lord Willetts spoke in favour of retaining a broader qualification choice at age 16 and warned of the impact of the proposed reforms at level 3 (as they currently stand). Peers voted to amend the Bill to ensure students can take two BTEC (or similar qualifications) and a longer-term (4 year) timetable for removal of funding for any qualifications. The Bill will pass to MPs later this year where the Lords’ amendments will be debated.
118 cross party parliamentarians signed a letter to Secretary of State, Nadhim Zahawi urging him to “make an early assessment” of the planned reform of level 3 qualifications and asks for an assurance that “students will continue to have the choice to study a wide range of applied general qualifications in the future”.
As part of the government’s plans to reskill adults, it has announced 65 short and modular courses to be delivered through Institutes of Technology as part of a new pilot. The STEM courses will be free to learners and are funded through the National Skills Fund.