The department has regular engagement with higher and further education providers and their representative bodies to discuss matters of mutual interest.

The department engages with these representative bodies as part of the development of policy to increase the flexibility of Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) approvals, as set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper. This engagement has included, and will continue to include, discussion on raising the awareness and profile of HTQs. The list of available government approved HTQs can be found at: https://gov.uk/government/publications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications.

The department has regular engagement with higher and further education providers and their representative bodies to discuss matters of mutual interest.

The department engages with these representative bodies as part of the development of policy to increase the flexibility of Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) approvals, as set out in the Post-16 Education and Skills white paper. This engagement has included, and will continue to include, discussion on raising the awareness and profile of HTQs. The list of available government approved HTQs can be found at: https://gov.uk/government/publications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications.

This government is investing over £18 billion per year in post-16 education and skills and is delivering record investment this parliament, committing an additional £1.2 billion a year by the 2028–29 financial year to support around 65,000 more learners annually.

Growth and Skills Levy funding is intended to support the training and upskilling of employees. It can be used to fund apprenticeship training and assessment and, since April 2026, Apprenticeship Units. Apprenticeship Units are short courses to help employers upskill their workforces quickly and flexibly and there are now ten units available for employers to use.

Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) are eligible for the higher education student finance offer on the same basis as undergraduate degree courses, for full-time and part-time students starting an HTQ that is a minimum of a year in length and is delivered by an OfS-registered provider. HTQs that do not meet this requirement are funded via Adult Learner Loans.

In September 2024, there were 227 qualifications awarded the HTQ quality mark and approved for delivery in the 2024/25 academic year. A further 39 qualifications were awarded the HTQ quality mark between September 2024 and August 2025.

In September 2023 there were 154 qualifications awarded the Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) quality mark, and in September 2024 there were 227 qualifications awarded the HTQ quality mark.

The department’s data on learner enrolments does not distinguish between HTQs that were approved but had not yet started delivery, and those that were live and available but attracted no student enrolments. The department does not therefore have sufficient data to specify how many live HTQs had no students enrolled in any given academic year.

In September 2023 there were 154 qualifications awarded the Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) quality mark, and in September 2024 there were 227 qualifications awarded the HTQ quality mark.

The department’s data on learner enrolments does not distinguish between HTQs that were approved but had not yet started delivery, and those that were live and available but attracted no student enrolments. The department does not therefore have sufficient data to specify how many live HTQs had no students enrolled in any given academic year.

As of September 2025, there were 281 qualifications approved as Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs). These encompass thirteen occupational routes:

• Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care
• Business and Administration
• Care Services
• Catering and Hospitality
• Construction and the Built Environment
• Creative and Design
• Digital
• Education and Early Years
• Engineering and Manufacturing
• Health and Science
• Legal, Finance and Accounting
• Protective Services
• Sales, Marketing and Procurement.

The list of approved qualifications is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications.

In the 2023/24 academic year, the second year of the HTQ rollout, the department estimates that 4,370 students were enrolled on HTQs based on data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency and Individualised Learner Record student records.

Data covering participation and completion rates for HTQs in the 2024/25 academic year is not currently available.

As of September 2025, there were 281 qualifications approved as Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs). These encompass thirteen occupational routes:

• Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care
• Business and Administration
• Care Services
• Catering and Hospitality
• Construction and the Built Environment
• Creative and Design
• Digital
• Education and Early Years
• Engineering and Manufacturing
• Health and Science
• Legal, Finance and Accounting
• Protective Services
• Sales, Marketing and Procurement.

The list of approved qualifications is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications.

In the 2023/24 academic year, the second year of the HTQ rollout, the department estimates that 4,370 students were enrolled on HTQs based on data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency and Individualised Learner Record student records.

Data covering participation and completion rates for HTQs in the 2024/25 academic year is not currently available.

Following its creation, Skills England continues to accept Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) applications on a rolling basis. This function moved with Skills England when it transferred to be an executive agency of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

On 29 July, the Government announced that, as of 1 January 2025, all education services and vocational training provided by a private school in the UK for a charge will be subject to VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent.

The Government has no plans to make changes to the VAT treatment of Higher Education.

The modular acceleration programme is a two-year programme designed to accelerate the supply and support the delivery of individual modules of Higher Technical Qualifications ahead of the launch of the Lifelong Learning Entitlement. During academic years 2023/24 and 2024/25, 25 providers will deliver up to 108 modules to learners.

Delivery of the first modules began in April 2024, with the bulk of modules being delivered from September 2024. Activities to raise demand and support recruitment to modules will continue as the programme enters its second academic year.

To date, 172 qualifications have been approved as Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) across seven occupational routes: Digital, Construction & the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business & Administration, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing, and Legal, Finance & Accounting, for first teaching between September 2022 and September 2024, depending on the route. The list of approved qualifications can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/qualifications/higher-technical-qualifications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications-cycle-one/.

Data covering participation and completion rates for HTQs in the 2022/23 academic year is not currently available.

From the 2023/24 academic year, HTQ data will be incorporated in the Higher Level Learners dataset, which the department expects to be published in 2025.

To date, 172 qualifications have been approved as Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) across seven occupational routes: Digital, Construction & the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business & Administration, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing, and Legal, Finance & Accounting, for first teaching between September 2022 and September 2024, depending on the route. The list of approved qualifications can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/qualifications/higher-technical-qualifications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications-cycle-one/.

Data covering participation and completion rates for HTQs in the 2022/23 academic year is not currently available.

From the 2023/24 academic year, HTQ data will be incorporated in the Higher Level Learners dataset, which the department expects to be published in 2025.

To date, 172 qualifications have been approved as Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) across seven occupational routes: Digital, Construction & the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business & Administration, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing, and Legal, Finance & Accounting, for first teaching between September 2022 and September 2024, depending on the route. The list of approved qualifications can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/qualifications/higher-technical-qualifications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications-cycle-one/.

Data covering participation and completion rates for HTQs in the 2022/23 academic year is not currently available.

From the 2023/24 academic year, HTQ data will be incorporated in the Higher Level Learners dataset, which the department expects to be published in 2025.

To date, 172 qualifications have been approved as Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) across seven occupational routes: Digital, Construction & the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business & Administration, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing, and Legal, Finance & Accounting, for first teaching between September 2022 and September 2024, depending on the route. The list of approved qualifications can be found here: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/qualifications/higher-technical-qualifications/approved-higher-technical-qualifications-cycle-one/.

Data covering participation and completion rates for HTQs in the 2022/23 academic year is not currently available.

From the 2023/24 academic year, HTQ data will be incorporated in the Higher Level Learners dataset, which the department expects to be published in 2025.

From January 2022, the department has moved away from delivering individual campaigns for each policy product and started delivery of joined up, audience-led campaigns under the banner of Skills for Life, which covers T Levels, Institutes of Technology, Higher Technical Qualifications and others.

Up to and including the 2020/21 financial year, there was a T Level specific marketing campaign with incurred costs of £400,000 in the 2018/19 financial year, £2,667,975 in the 2019/20 financial year and £4,109,207 in the 2020/21 financial year.

The Skills for Life campaign is ongoing. The overall spend for 2023/24 was £12,085,527, as detailed in my response to 7043 on 8 January 2024, which is available at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-12-14/7043. For the 2021/22 financial year the overall spend was £4,092,000. In the 2022/23 financial year overall spend was £12,400,000.

The department has published the following data on awareness of Level 4 and 5 qualifications and Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs):

• Awareness of Level 4 and 5 qualifications, and HTQs in the Parent, Pupil and Learner Panel: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/639219408fa8f53baa1f3f5f/PPLP_report_rw4_june.pdf.
• Awareness of HTQs amongst employers as part of the Employer Skills Survey 2022: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65855506fc07f3000d8d46bd/Employer_skills_survey_2022_research_report.pdf.

Introducing HTQs is central to the department’s drive to increase the profile, prestige, and uptake of higher technical education. HTQs were first available for teaching from September 2022 and are now offered by over 140 providers across the country in construction and build, digital, and health and science occupations. In the 2023/24 academic year, over 140 qualifications were available. More HTQs will be available to study from September 2024.

The department is promoting HTQs as part of the Skills for Life cross-government communications and engagement campaign for young people, adults and employers. This campaign aims to raise awareness of the various skills offers, help them to decide which one is right for them (or their workforce) and increase take-up.

The department is working with stakeholders, including the National Careers Service, Careers & Enterprise Company and UCAS, to improve the support that is available to young people and adults. The department is also working with employers and professional bodies to improve their recognition of HTQs.

Finally, the department is supporting providers to increase their HTQ provision and to promote it effectively and widely. The department has announced investment of around £115 million in funding to providers to support higher technical education provision.

The department is delivering reforms to increase profile, prestige, and uptake of higher technical education. Central to these reforms is the introduction of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs). HTQs are level 4 and 5 qualifications (such as HNDs and Foundation Degrees) that have been approved against employer-developed standard and quality marked by the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education (IfATE). This means students and employers can have confidence that HTQs provide skills employers need.

HTQs are currently available across the country and are being taught in colleges, universities, Institutes of Technology’s (IoTs), and Independent Training Providers (ITPs) across Digital, Construction and Health & Science subjects. These qualifications give the learner the skills for a range of great jobs including Cyber Security, Quantity Surveying, Sports Coaching and Nursing Associate.

There are 140 providers approved to begin teaching of HTQs in the 2023/24 academic year available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-higher-technical-qualifications. The published list can be broken down by provider type and includes 111 FECs and 18 HEIs which are able to deliver HTQs from the 2023/24 academic year. While the data cannot be broken down by region, it is instead broken down by postcode and location. The department is updating the list of approved providers as new HTQs enter the market and more providers are onboarded to deliver the qualifications. An updated list will be ready in Spring 2024.

To support HTQ provision, £115 million in funding has been provided to colleges, universities, IoTs and ITPs to help grow provision across the country, on top of up to £300 million to create a network of 21 Institutes of Technology.

To date 172 qualifications have been approved as HTQs across seven occupational routes (Digital, Construction & the Built Environment, Health & Science, Business & Administration, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing and Legal, Finance & Accounting), for first teach beginning between September 2022/20 to 2024.

To help HTQs be studied flexibly and around other commitments, since September 2023, HTQ learners are eligible for both tuition fee and maintenance loans whether they are studied full or part-time, on the same basis as degree level courses. HTQs will also be among the first courses eligible for modular funding when the Lifelong Learning Entitlement launches in the 2025/26 academic year.