Qualification reform in England
The post-16 Level 3 and below vocational qualification landscape in England is undergoing major reform. EAL has engaged with the reform and responded with a significant investment into qualification development to ensure the continuity of funded routes to employment and progression for learners in the engineering and BSE sectors.
What do you need to know about qualification reform in England?
Following successive reviews, which highlighted the complexity and variable quality of the current system, the government is in the process of reforming post-16 qualifications at Level 3 and below. This process is divided into three phases.
Phase 1 - Removing funding at Levels 3 and below due to low or no enrolments in Phase 1. This work was completed in August 2022.
Phase 2 - Removing funding from Level 3 qualifications due to overlap with T Levels. A qualification overlaps with a T Level if it is a technical qualification with similar outcomes to those set out in a standard covered by a T Level and aims to support students into employment in the same occupational area.
DfE published the final list of qualifications that will have funding removed from:
- 1 August 2024 because they overlap with waves 1 and 2 T Levels,
- 1 August 2025 because they overlap with wave 3 and 2 T Levels.
EAL qualifications in the table below are in scope to have funding approval removed for new starts from 1 August 2024 from 16 to 19 study programmes only. Removing funding approval means that ESFA will not fund any students starting on these qualifications from 1 August 2024. They will continue to fund students who have already started on qualifications in this list before 1 August 2024 until they complete or until the certification end date of the qualification. Adult (19+) funding may still be available for some of these listed.
Please note that the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson has announced a short review of the post-16 qualification reforms at Level 3 and below. Due to the announcement, they will extend these qualifications until 31 July 2025.
| Qualification number | Title |
| 501/1605/8 | EAL Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Installing Electrotechnical Systems and Equipment (Buildings, Structures and the Environment) |
| 600/0577/4 | EAL Level 3 Diploma in Gas Utilisation: Core Skills and Knowledge |
| 600/8595/2 | EAL Level 3 Diploma in Plumbing and Heating |
| 6014/563/8 | EAL Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Electrical Installation |
| 6014/567/5 | EAL Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Plumbing |
| 603/6194/3 | EAL Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Providing Electronic Fire and Security Systems |
Removing funding approval means that ESFA will not fund any students starting on the qualifications below from 1 August 2025. ESFA will continue to fund students who have already started on qualifications in this list before 1 August 2025 until they complete or until the certification end date of the qualification.
| Qualification number | Title |
| 501/1130/9 | EAL Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Technology |
| 501/1131/0 | EAL Level 3 Diploma in Fabrication and Welding Engineering Technology |
| 601/5799/9 | EAL Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma in Engineering Technologies |
| 601/5800/1 | EAL Level 3 Certificate in Engineering Technologies |
| 601/5801/3 | EAL Level 3 Diploma In Engineering Technologies |
| 601/5802/5 | EAL Level 3 Extended Diploma in Engineering Technologies |
| 603/0564/2 | EAL Level 3 Technical Extended Diploma in Engineering Technologies |
| 603/1033/9 | EAL Level 3 Diploma in Machining (Development knowledge) |
| 603/2621/9 | EAL Level 3 Diploma in Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering - Fabricator (Development Competence) |
| 601/4564/X | EAL Level 3 Advanced Diploma in Engineering Technology |
Phase 3 - Introducing new funding approval criteria for technical and nontechnical qualifications at Level 3 and below. These assessment criteria will be applied through a new, integrated funding approval process in which the Department for Education (DfE), the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) and the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) all have a key role.
New qualifications will be approved for funding for 3 years rather than the current 12 months. The DfE has prescribed the size of new qualifications and the subjects and sectors in which they can be developed.
Use the links below to download the reform timetables for each group of qualifications.
Reform timetable for Level 3 Reform timetable for Level 2 and below Access the DfE guidance
Future-funded qualifications
What qualifications will be funded in the future and what will pathways will change?
Level 1
ESOL, Skills for Life and Maths and English will be reformed for first teaching in 2027.
Future-funded qualifications
Level 2
Alongside GCSEs and apprenticeships, there are three routes, which either support progression to higher levels of study, or entry to skilled employment, including:
Qualifications supporting progression to technical study at Level 3
- Progression to T Levels
- Progression to other Level 3 technical study
Qualifications supporting progression to academic study at Level 3
- Progression to academic study
Technical qualifications supporting entry to skilled employment at Level 2
- Technical Occupational Entry (EAL have submitted qualifications for approval)
- Technical Additional Specialist
- Technical cross-cutting function
- Technical employer-proposed
Future-funded qualifications
Level 3
In line with previous publications, the latest guidance reiterates the policy of two clear pathways in the post-2025 level 3 qualifications landscape, with a broader choice for adults.
Young people will choose either an ‘academic’ pathway or a ‘technical’ pathway.
- A levels will form the core of the academic offer. Alternative Academic qualifications (AAQs) will continue to be available in many subject areas to be taken alongside or as alternatives to A levels.
- T Levels will form the core of the technical offer at level 3 and will cover most occupations that a learner might study at 16-19.
- Limited range of other qualifications will also be available to be taken alongside or as alternatives to T Levels.
For adults, the same academic qualifications offer will be available as for 16–19-year-olds, but the DfE recognise that a greater choice of technical qualifications will be needed. Alongside A Levels, T Levels and apprenticeships, there will be categories of qualifications which support progression to higher levels of study or skilled employment:
- Technical Occupational Entry (EAL has approved funded qualifications in this category)
- Technical Additional Specialist (EAL has approved funded qualifications in this category)
- Technical cross-cutting function
- Technical employer-proposed qualifications
- Alternative Academic Qualifications.
EAL-funded qualification portfolio
The following qualifications were developed by EAL and submitted to IfATE for funding approval. We have had confirmation that funding will be available for these qualifications when they become live for registrations in August/September 2025.
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