T-levels rollout criticised as ‘just half complete health and science courses’

Shadow skills minister Toby Perkins said the dropout rate was ‘incredibly concerning for the future of the health service’.

The Government’s flagship technical qualification was introduced in 2020 (Alamy/PA)

Almost half the pupils taking newly forged technical qualifications in health and science dropped out, according to analysis by the Labour Party.

The Opposition said the number of dropouts was placing the future of the healthcare workforce in England under threat as it accused the Conservative UK Government of “bungling” the rollout of T-levels and leaving the programme “in chaos”.

The Government’s flagship technical qualification was introduced in 2020, with it considered to be broadly equivalent to three A-levels.

Labour pointed to Department for Education (DfE) data showing that 827 pupils completed T-level qualifications this year in the fields of health, healthcare science and science.

T-levels should be an important route for young people, but the Conservatives’ bungling has left the entire programme in chaos

Shadow skills minister Toby Perkins

Using both DfE and House of Commons Library statistics, party analysts said about 1,510 people are thought to have enrolled on science and health-related courses in 2021, suggesting that about 55% completed their two-year study.

On Thursday, almost 3,500 students were awarded their T-level results in the second year that the qualification has been awarded.

Figures suggest around a third of T-level students quit their course during their studies.

The DfE said it was “quite normal for students to switch” courses after enrolment as they consider their future career options.

It comes after a review published in July by education watchdog Ofsted found students taking T-levels felt “misled” and “ill-informed” about the courses, with inspectors stating that teachers were struggling to set work that was challenging enough.

Labour said the T-level health and science non-completion rate came on top of a 13% drop in the number of students moving on to studying nursing at university.

Toby Perkins, the shadow skills minister, said: “There is no NHS without its incredible nurses, who go above and beyond to care for us all.

“These figures are incredibly concerning for the future of the health service.

“T-levels should be an important route for young people, but the Conservatives’ bungling has left the entire programme in chaos – with potentially disastrous consequences for the future healthcare workforce, given plans to bin BTEC qualifications.”

Mr Perkins said a future Labour government would “get the T-level programme working again” and remove barriers to “high quality vocational and technical training pathways”.

Skills minister Robert Halfon told the PA news agency this week that he believed T-levels were “going to be a world-beating vocational technical qualification”, with the qualification becoming a new route into university.

Jennifer Coupland, chief executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, has said her organisation will be looking at the numbers of students switching courses.

A DfE spokeswoman said: “In just their second year, T-levels are already showing their value, with several subjects, including health, delivering better progression opportunities for students than comparable qualifications.

“It is quite normal for students to switch to different courses after enrolment as their decisions about potential future careers change.

“We are working with providers to understand more about what can be done to improve retention and make T-levels even better for students.”