V Levels are an opportunity for coherence if we get it right.
V Levels will give vocational education the credibility it deserves, if designed with clarity, consistency and collaboration.
The announcement of V Levels is an opportunity to raise the status of vocational training. For too long, vocational routes have been treated as second best.
If V Levels can genuinely simplify choices and help young people progress into rewarding work, then they could mark a real step forward.
However, how they are designed, implemented and embedded will mean the difference between another failed attempt at qualifications reform, and providing a valued route for young people into work and for employers to recruit people with the skills they need.
At Skills Federation, our 19 employer-led sector skills body members tell us that they need qualifications they can trust – ones that reflect real workplace needs and prepare a pathway into the world of work.
These qualifications must also be clearly understood.
Author's summary: V Levels can raise vocational training status.