Event Summary

The post-16 reform agenda is entering its most demanding phase yet. The Department for Education published its post-16 pathways implementation plan in May 2026, confirming the V-Level delivery timeline and introducing two new level 2 pathways: Foundation Certificates and Occupational Certificates, giving providers their clearest picture yet of what lies ahead.

For providers already managing pressures around the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, the 16-19 funding formula and learner support obligations, the stakes of getting V-Levels right have never been greater.

Join Westminster Insight’s Post-16 Education and Skills Reform Digital Conference, taking place online on Tuesday 24th November 2026, for a full day of policy updates and practical guidance. We will examine where implementation stands, what is working in practice, and what the tightening timeline means for colleges, sixth forms, training providers and local skills bodies in the year ahead.

The first V-Level cohorts are confirmed to begin in 2027 in Education and Early Years, Accounting and Finance, and Digital Systems and Data. We will set out how to map your qualification offer to Level 2 and 3 reform requirements, manage the transition period, and build the provider capacity the new delivery models demand.

Existing qualifications are being withdrawn, retained or replaced, and providers must help learners, parents and advisers navigate new pathways. We will examine how to protect access for disadvantaged groups during this period and hear directly from Qualification Pioneers who have been involved in shaping the new model.

Drawing on lessons from T-Level rollout, we will assess the workforce planning, infrastructure and professional development needed to deliver V-Levels at scale, with particular attention to what implementation means for smaller providers and across different regional contexts.

Progression beyond 2027 is also on the agenda. What must happen for V-Levels to gain recognition from employers and higher education institutions? We will track developments on the TVQ Higher Education Network and UCAS Tariff points for V-Levels, and consider how vocational pathways can widen opportunity without reinforcing existing inequalities.

We will also examine employer engagement and local skills alignment, including how providers are using Local Skills Improvement Plans and regional partnerships to shape provision that reflects real workforce needs.

Join senior leaders from colleges, sixth forms, training providers, universities and government to examine the latest developments, share practical solutions and explore how to successfully deliver reform in a rapidly evolving skills landscape.

Key Points

  • Understand where V-Level implementation stands and what the 2027 start date means for your organisation
  • Manage the qualification transition: what the withdrawal and replacement of existing qualifications means for your curriculum planning
  • Understand how to protect access for disadvantaged learners as qualifications are withdrawn and replaced
  • Hear from Qualification Pioneers on practical lessons from shaping and testing the V-Level model
  • Learn from the T-Level rollout to understand the risks and support needs to expect from V-Level delivery
  • Explore what employers and universities need from V-Levels to recognise them as credible qualifications
  • Assess the workforce planning, infrastructure and professional development needed to deliver V-Levels across the sector
  • Hear practical approaches to building employer partnerships and using Local Skills Improvement Plans to shape provision
  • Connect and share learning with colleagues from colleges, sixth forms, training providers and local authority skills teams across the country

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