Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a bold package of reforms to transform England’s education and skills system, aiming to ensure young people are equipped to thrive in tomorrow’s job market.
Central to the reforms is a new target: two-thirds of young people to be engaged in higher-level learning – academic technical or apprenticeships – by age 25, up from 50% today. A sub-target will ensure at least 10% pursue higher technical education or apprenticeships by 2040, nearly doubling current figures.
Schools will take on a greater role in guiding pupils towards clear post-16 destinations, supported by Ofsted and a new guaranteed college or FE place safety net. The reforms also include the creation of 14 new Technical Excellence Colleges, focused on high-growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing, clean energy and digital, building on the 15 already announced.
To raise standards, colleges will be expected to deliver 100 hours of face-to-face English and maths teaching for students who haven’t passed GCSEs, backed by targeted funding and professional development for FE teachers.
A single funding model for all Level 4–6 courses will be introduced, bringing FE and HE under the regulation of the Office for Students. Providers offering higher technical courses will gain new awarding powers, making it easier to deliver priority skills.
The reforms are backed by the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, ensuring equal access to student finance for modular and higher-level study across further and higher education.
To support the reforms, the government will invest £800 million in funding for 16–19-year-olds in 2026–27, enabling an additional 20,000 students to access high-quality education. This builds on the reintroduction of targeted, means-tested maintenance grants for low-income students, announced by the Education Secretary.
The upcoming Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper will outline further recommendations, informed by a curriculum and assessment review.
These reforms aim to create a resilient, inclusive and future-ready education system, aligning learning with the UK’s economic needs and empowering young people to succeed.
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