A new V-Level qualification is to be rolled out in a major overhaul of the education system for pupils aged 16 to 19, the Department for Education (DfE) has announced.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said vocational education has been seen as an “afterthought for too long” as she announced the new qualification.
Ministers are to set out plans for third route alongside A-levels and T-levels in a new white paper on post-16 education and skills, which will be published on Monday.
The DfE said the new qualification will replace the 900 vocational qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds which are currently available alongside A- and T-Levels.
It said the move will streamline the “confusing landscape” currently on offer.
The department said the move would also offer pupils more flexibility and let them explore key sectors - which could include include engineering, agriculture or digital - before deciding where to specialise.
It said the V-Levels will offer more choice as pupils will be able to sit them alongside A-Levels, unlike T-Levels - which are equivalent to three A-Levels.
Meanwhile, the DfE has also announced plans to support pupils to get the “vital pass” they need in English and maths GCSE.
Currently, students who do not achieve a grade 4 in maths and English GCSE are required to continue studying post-16 to pass the exams.
The rule is regularly criticised by sector leaders, and recently the Commons Education Select Committee said the policy is not working for the majority and urged the Government to change it.
The Government announced a new qualification will be “targeted at students with lower attainment as a stepping stone to better prepare them to resit these GCSEs”.
The DfE said the policy will particularly “support white working class pupils”, with those eligible for free school meals more likely to need to resit these exams compared to their more affluent peers.
Ms Phillipson said: “Technical and vocational education is the backbone of this country’s economy and central to breaking the link between background and success, helping hundreds of thousands of young people get the skills they need to get good jobs.
“But for too long it has been an afterthought. Young people have been left to navigate an overcomplicated landscape and repeatedly labelled as ‘failures’ by a system that has held them back from all-important English and maths grades.
“Through our plan for change we are turning the tide.
“Our reforms are building a post-16 education system that truly matches young people’s aspirations and abilities, delivering the opportunity and growth our economy needs.”
The Government said that it will launch a consultation to support the introduction of V-Levels.
It added that T-Levels will continue to expand to other subject areas.