First V-level subjects announced with aim to 'prepare for future jobs'

Education, finance and digital are among the first new V-level subjects rolling out 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.

The government says its post-16 plans are landmark reforms to help young people secure well-paid jobs, following the number of young people not in education, work or training rising to almost one million.

The first V-levels - the new vocational qualifications - from 2027 will be in education and early years, finance and accounting, and digital, the government has said.

Learning will be designed around real jobs and the skills employers actually 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.

From 2028, more subjects will be added to V-level options, including:

From 2029, agriculture, environmental and animal care, catering and hospitality, hair and beauty, and protective services will be added.

Then from 2030, art and performing arts, creative and design, and travel and tourism will be available as V-levels too.

In October 2025, the government announced that V-levels would be rolled out for 16-year-olds under government plans to simplify a "confusing landscape" of qualifications in England.

They are set to replace Level 3 BTecs and other post-16 technical qualifications.

The Department for Education says this is progress towards Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's target to get two-thirds of young people into a gold‑standard apprenticeship, higher training or university by the age of 25, to drive economic growth, and cut the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training (Neet).

Ken Merry, principal of York College, which offers a range of vocational routes, T-levels, A-levels and apprenticeships for students, says he thinks V-levels have the perfect opportunity to level the playing field for some young people.

"I'm really excited to see them roll out over the next kind of few years until we've got a full complement of V-levels alongside a full suite of A-levels," he says.

He believes the opportunity for students to mix and match V-levels and A-levels will be beneficial, giving "more of a hybrid mix that we can offer, that will really help them succeed in the future".

"I think V-levels have the potential to be a real game changer in education."

Freya, 18, is a student at York College and Team GB handball player. She initially started at the college doing A-levels, but swapped to a sport and exercise science BTec instead.

Freya says a vocational route was the right choice for her - both in terms of her career aspirations, and in managing her workload and exam stress.

She thinks a range of different post-16 routes for students is "amazing - because it's not really the same world it was when A-levels were brought in".

Applying her learning during the course, rather than memorising it for an exam, is something she believes is valuable for universities and employers.

"I think I made the right decision switching, because it's given me a lot of chances to understand workplaces," she says.

The government has also confirmed its plans for vocational alternatives for 16-year-olds who are not ready to progress beyond the GCSE-equivalent level due to lower attainment.

These level two qualifications will come in two forms: an occupational pathway, and a further study pathway.

The occupational pathway, which will be two years long, will be for those who want to progress into the workplace or an apprenticeship, the DfE says.

The first courses will include catering and hospitality, and education and early years, from next year.

The further study pathway, which will be one year long, will be for students who want to eventually progress to A-levels, T-levels or V-levels.

Education and early years and digital courses will be available from next year.

From 2028, many other subjects will be added, in line with the V-level subject areas.

Bill Watkin, chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, said its members would warmly welcome the government's decision to retain BTec qualifications while V-level qualifications were phased in.

"Colleges and schools can now make the most of this period of stability and certainty to ensure that tens of thousands of young people have an uninterrupted educational experience, while also engaging constructively and with focus in the design and rollout of V-levels," he said.

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.