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The Department for Education is conducting a comprehensive review of Level 4-5 education (the 'Level 4-5 Review' or the 'Review') with a focus on how technical qualifications at this level can best address the needs of learners and employers. The Review forms part of the Department's wider work on skills and Higher and Further Education, including the implementation of the Post-16 Skills Plan, and this evidence will feed into the Review of Post 18 Education and Funding.

This interim evidence overview: provides an opportunity to share research and analysis undertaken by, or in consultation with, the Department, following the announcement of the Review in October 2017; invites any further contributions from those with experience and expertise in this area; outlines areas which will be given particular consideration as the Review progresses; and adds to the existing evidence base and informs policy development in the Review. The document provides a summary of headline findings by three themes: learner demand and social mobility; fit for employers and the economy; and quality, prestige, funding and regulation.

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Higher technical education (HTE) in England is post-18 education aligned to technical routes, such as accounting, engineering, management or laboratory science. There is clear and growing employer demand for the skills that HTE provides, and there are good economic outcomes for students completing higher technical courses. Despite this participation is low compared to other levels of education and many of England's international competitors. To address these issues and reform classroom-based HTE in England, the Department for Education (DfE) held an online consultation from July-September 2019 to hear views on plans to: (1) create a new system to make it clearer which higher technical qualifications provide the skills employers want; (2) work with the Office for Students (the independent higher education regulator) to recognise and develop high-quality provision of higher technical education; and (3) make higher technical education a more positive and popular choice by raising awareness and understanding of it among potential students and employers.

This document provides the Government response to the consultation and outlines the steps it intends to put into action. From September 2022 there will be high quality, nationally recognised approved higher technical qualifications (approved HTQs) that meet employer needs and are clearly signalled to learners and employers. This will be implemented through a new national scheme to approve level 4-5 qualifications that provide the knowledge, skills, and behaviours that employers need and that signal clear technical competence and skills. The scheme will be led by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education with employers at the heart of the approvals process. Awarding bodies will need to be regulated by either Ofqual or the Office for Students (OfS) to have their qualifications approved by the Institute.

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This is a report of findings from an independent qualitative research study into the provision of Level 4 and 5 qualifications in England. Undertaken between January and April 2018, the study was commissioned by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and was carried out by a team of researchers from York Consulting LLP. The research has involved semi-structured, qualitative consultations with staff at 23 higher education (HE) providers in England, comprising 16 Further Education Colleges, four Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and three Alternative Providers. The providers interviewed were known to have significant numbers of learners at Levels 4 and 5 in subjects which related to the 15 technical routes to skilled employment outlined by the Independent Panel on Technical Education. The consultations explored three key themes: (1) The viability of Level 4 and 5 provision; (2) Labour market and employer influences on Level 4 and 5 provision; and (3) Providers' approaches to widening participation at Levels 4 and 5.

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The Department for Education is conducting a comprehensive review of classroom based level 4 to 5 education with a focus on how technical qualifications at this level can best address the needs of learners and employers. This literature review explored good practice in the development and delivery of level 4 and 5 qualifications. It particularly focused on how or why courses or qualifications have gained popularity and achieved good outcomes at this level. The review was England-wide only (although some data are presented at UK-wide level) and included literature from 2007 onwards to ensure relevance. The results of the literature review were then used to draw lessons on aspects of good practice for the design and delivery of level 4 and 5 qualifications.

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Higher technical education (HTE) in England is post-18 education aligned to technical routes, such as accounting, engineering, management or laboratory science. There are a wide range of higher technical qualifications, including Foundation Degrees and Higher National Certificates and Diplomas.The Department for Education (DfE) launched an online consultation on HTE on the 8th July 2019 to hear views on plans to: (1) create a new system to make it clearer which HTQs provide the skills employers want; (2) work with the Office for Students (the independent higher education regulator) to recognise and develop high-quality provision of higher technical education; and (3) make higher technical education a more positive and popular choice by raising awareness and understanding of it among potential students and employers. This report summarises the findings of an independent analysis of the responses to the consultation. The aim is to inform policy development by DfE and its response to the consultation.

The consultation had 28 questions ordered under these five headings: Introduction: contact and organisation information; Higher technical qualifications (HTQs): agreement with the proposed aims of HTQs, feedback on the proposals, incentives, approval processes, and the Ofqual and OfS regulatory arrangements; Delivery of higher technical education (HTE): quality criteria, OfS technical registration, funding proposals, skill needs, resources and costs; Student and employer demand: demand among adults, young people and employers, the profile and prestige of HTQs, the provision of career information and guidance, and feedback on flexible provision; Wider impact: feedback on the HTQ proposals and individuals with protected characteristics, and other comments. Overall, the key to the success of HTQs was believed to be strong, well-functioning and long-term partnerships between industry and academia and sustained government support in raising their profile and prestige amongst students and employers.

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Higher technical education (HTE) in England is post-18 education aligned to technical routes, such as accounting, engineering, management or laboratory science. There is clear and growing employer demand for the skills that HTE provides, and there are good economic outcomes for students completing higher technical courses. Despite this participation is low compared to other levels of education and many of England's international competitors. There are a number of interrelated challenges within the current system that are likely reducing the effectiveness and take-up of level 4-5 education. For example, there is low awareness of level 4-5 and varied quality of provision. Delivery requires proper focus across the provider landscape.

This paper describes these challenges and provides the case for reforms that will aim to: to: (1) create a new system to make it clearer which higher technical qualifications provide the skills employers want; (2) work with the Office for Students (the independent higher education regulator) to recognise and develop high-quality provision of higher technical education; and (3) make higher technical education a more positive and popular choice by raising awareness and understanding of it among potential students and employers.

Two accompanying documents have been produced. The glossary lists and describes terms used within the consultation document and this policy paper. The interim impact assessments cover both general impact assessment and equality impact assessment of the HTE consultation.

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This data report provides a detailed overview of Level 4/5 provision that was delivered in 2015/16 by both FE providers and Higher Education Institutions. Provision is broadly mapped to the 15 technical education routes to give an indication of current supply of learning in these areas. The report is intended to help policy makers and planners understand the current Level 4/5 landscape and provide a context for further developing technical education in the future.

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This report presents experimental estimates describing different routes taken through post-16 education in England. The research focuses on a cohort of individuals who undertook GCSEs in 2004/05; it follows the cohort through post-16 learning and into the labour market using the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) Study. Educational achievement is measured at age 15 (GCSEs) and by ages 18, 23 and 25, and labour market outcomes are observed in the 2016-17 tax year.

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