England has too few people gaining the higher technical skills that the economy needs.  This is the basis for the DfE’s on-going review of higher technical education (HTE) and the prompt for its latest proposals for reforms to higher technical qualifications (HTQs).

The DfE’s latest consultation sets out the vision for establishing HTQs that provide the skills that employers want. Proposals include:

• National approval of qualifications at Levels 4–5 that deliver the knowledge, skills and behaviours set out by employer-led occupational standards. The Institute for Technical Education (IfATE) will oversee the approval of qualifications working with employer route panels.
• Awarding organisations (AOs) will seek IfATE approval of qualifications against the occupational standards. Approved qualifications will be identified through the use of a kitemark or single name.
• AOs can submit existing qualifications for approval as well as new qualifications – a phased approach is expected.
• In contrast to T Levels, the DfE is proposing an opt-in system for AOs that enables more than one qualification to be approved against a given occupational standard.
• If not all occupational standards are covered at Levels 4–5, the IfATE may issue a tender for the development of a new qualification.
• Organisations that award IfATE-approved qualifications will be regulated through existing systems provided by both Ofqual and the Office for Students.
• Non-approved qualifications at Levels 4–5 will attract lower funding.

The consultation also covers plans to ensure that colleges, universities and other providers (including National Colleges and Institutes of Technology) offer high-quality higher technical courses, and that information and advice is improved to encourage take up.

The first IfATE-approved HTQs will be taught from 2022 when the first T Level students complete their courses.