Education, finance and digital are among the first new V-level subjects rolling out in England from 2027. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson says the “bold reforms” will end the snobbery in post-16 education, and support young people to build secure, future-proof careers.

GCSE-level post-16 qualifications for lower-attaining students via further study or occupational paths have also been announced. The Sixth Form Colleges Association welcomed the announcement, as well as the government’s decision to retain BTecs while V-levels were phased in.

Learning will be designed around real jobs, and the skills employers need, to help young people secure well-paid jobs, it adds. V-levels will sit alongside A-levels and T-levels, and be equivalent to one A-level, allowing students to mix and match academic and vocational subjects if they want to.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said V-levels had “real potential to widen access to high‑quality vocational and technical education”, but urged the government to protect student choice, maintain equity, and avoid defunding existing qualifications before proven alternatives are in place.