'V Levels will give young people more choice and flexibility after school'

Every young person should finish school with a clear set of options and the confidence to choose the path that’s right for them – whether that’s continuing in full-time study, taking up an apprenticeship, or gaining skills through high-quality training.

For too long, our education and skills system hasn’t made that easy. The last government left too many young people without clear routes into good jobs, too many qualifications overlapping or undervalued, and too many colleges struggling to do the job they wanted to do.

That’s why I’m proud that the Government has announced the biggest reform of post-16 education in a generation with the introduction of V Levels – new vocational qualifications designed to sit alongside A Levels and T Levels, giving students more choice and flexibility in how they learn.

Each V Level will be equivalent in size to an A Level, allowing young people to mix and match academic and technical subjects to suit their goals and interests.

V Levels will replace hundreds of overlapping qualifications, making the system simpler and easier to navigate. They’ll focus on practical skills and real-world experience – designed with employers to make sure students leave education ready for the jobs and industries of the future.

Here in Newcastle-under-Lyme, we’re fortunate to have brilliant schools and colleges that already do so much to support our young people and help them achieve their ambitions. These reforms will build on that strength – giving teachers and students the tools, flexibility and clarity they deserve.

For our area, that means more pathways into good, secure work, stronger links between education and local businesses, and a clearer route for every student – whatever they want to do next.

But V Levels are just one part of Labour’s plan to rebuild our skills system and create opportunity across the country. The Prime Minister has set a bold target for our country: by 2025, two-thirds of young people should be taking a gold-standard apprenticeship, in higher skills training, or heading to university.

To get there, this Government is delivering once-in-a-generation reform – creating new Technical Excellence Colleges in every part of the country to boost training in key sectors like construction, clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

We’re also investing in teachers and trainers, overhauling the curriculum, and setting up new Regional Improvement Teams to drive up standards in colleges and make sure quality is consistently high wherever you study.

Together, these reforms will help end the old divide between ‘academic’ and ‘vocational’ routes and make sure that every young person has the opportunity to get on and build a good life for themselves.

Because whether it’s through a degree, an apprenticeship or a new V Level, every young person in Newcastle-under-Lyme deserves the chance to learn, progress and build a future they can be proud of.