Defunding Btecs closes off ‘proven’ educational route

Hepi paper warns that ministerial plans could set widening access progress back 10 years

Removing funding for vocational qualifications such as Btecs will close off a “useful and proven” educational route for students from a wide range of backgrounds, experts have warned.

In a paper published by the the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) on 28 April, 11 authors outline their concern about government plans to defund Level 3 applied general qualifications—including Btecs—if their content overlaps with new T-level vocational qualifications.