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Exams will go ahead next summer, underpinned by contingencies for all possible scenarios.

Students now have more time to prepare for their exams next year, as most AS, A levels and GCSEs will be held 3 weeks later to help address the disruption caused by the pandemic.

The Prime Minister and Education Secretary are clear that exams will go ahead, as they are the fairest and most accurate way to measure a pupil’s attainment.

Today (12 October), the government is announcing the summer exam series will start on 7 June and end on 2 July for almost all AS and A levels and GCSEs.

Results days are Tuesday 24 August for A and AS levels and Friday 27 August for GCSEs so students will start the following academic year as normal.

The government continues to prioritise children’s education in its response to the pandemic, building on the remarkable efforts of teachers, students and parents in keeping pupils learning at school and at home.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said:

“Fairness to pupils is my priority, and will continue to be at the forefront of every decision we take in the lead up to exams next summer. Exams are the fairest way of judging a student’s performance so they will go ahead, underpinned by contingency measures developed in partnership with the sector”.

“Students have experienced considerable disruption and it’s right we give them, and their teachers, the certainty that exams will go ahead and more time to prepare”.

“Combined with our £1 billion catch-up programme and the changes proposed by Ofqual to free up teaching time, the changes I am announcing today give young people the best chance of being ready for their exams without undermining the value of the qualifications they receive”.

“I will continue to work closely with stakeholders and I’m grateful for the commitment and willingness that’s been shown in delivering this additional time to ensure young people have the best opportunity to succeed”.

Schools and colleges have shown exams can be held, even in areas of local restriction. The autumn exam series – involving more than 20,000 entries – is already underway.

Given rising case numbers and the battle to suppress the virus, it is also right that there is consideration of the range of scenarios which might impact students’ ability to sit exams and develop contingency plans.

The Education Secretary has today written to Ofqual (PDF, 180KB, 2 pages)to ask the regulator to work closely with him, school and further education leaders, exam boards, unions and the higher education sector to develop these arrangements.

The government will engage widely with the sector over the next 6 weeks to identify any risks to exams at a national, local, and individual student level, and consider measures needed to address any potential disruption. This could be a student unable to sit exams due to illness or self-isolation, or schools affected by a local outbreak during the examination season meaning centres cannot open.

More detail will be published later in the autumn, to ensure students have confidence that they will be fairly treated in terms of assessment in 2021.

One maths and one English GCSE exam will be held just before the May half-term, giving any year 11 pupils who are affected by COVID-19 the best possible chance of still sitting a paper in each of these core subjects.

The government is also confirming today that no further subject-level changes to exams and assessments will be made for GCSEs, AS and A levels. The changes outlined by Ofqual are designed to release time for teaching and to take account of public health considerations. This confirmation gives teachers, school leaders and pupils clarity on what will be assessed in exams next summer. This follows a public consultation carried out by the exams’ regulator, Ofqual, earlier this year. Ofqual has also consulted on how assessments of vocational and technical qualifications will be adapted to free up teaching time and respond to any future public health measures.

Our £1 billion COVID-19 catch-up fund will help to tackle the impact of lost teaching time. The programme includes a £650 million catch up premium to help schools support all pupils and £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged students.

It is expected that for the majority of vocational and technical qualifications that are taken alongside or instead of GCSEs, AS and A levels, awarding organisations will look to align timetables with 2021 exams.

Published 12 October 2020 
Last updated 13 October 2020 — see all updatesFrom:Department for Education and The Rt Hon Gavin Williamson CBE MP

National Apprenticeship Week 2021 aims to shine a light on the amazing work being done by employers and apprentices across the country.

• National Apprenticeship Week 2021 will take place from 8 to 14 February 2021
• The annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships will shine a light on the amazing work being done by employers and apprentices across the country
• The Week will also recognise how employers of all sizes have stepped up to the challenge during this unprecedented time.

Apprenticeships and Skills Minister, Gillian Keegan has announced today (Monday 21 September 2020) the 14th annual National Apprenticeship Week will take place from 8 to 14 February 2021.

The annual week-long celebration of apprenticeships, taking place across England, will showcase how apprenticeships have helped employers and people of all ages and backgrounds. Employers are encouraged to promote the great work of their apprentices, whilst highlighting the many benefits apprenticeships bring to their business. Apprentices, at all stages of their learning will also be celebrated over the course of National Apprenticeship Week 2021.

Bringing together apprenticeship ambassadors, MPs, training providers, apprentices, parents and employers, National Apprenticeship Week highlights the work being done across the whole apprenticeship community to promote apprenticeships and their impact.

Announcing the date for the Week in 2021, Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Gillian Keegan said:

“National Apprenticeship Week is a great opportunity to highlight the amazing opportunities that an apprenticeship brings to employers, individuals and the economy.

“It has been fantastic to see how employers of all sizes have gone above and beyond to ensure apprentices can continue their studies during this unprecedented time. The week is also an opportunity to shine a light on how apprentices of all ages and backgrounds are helping to transform businesses across the country.

“As a former apprentice I know what a life changing experience it can be, and I’m looking forward to being part of National Apprenticeship Week 2021 and seeing first-hand the inspiring ways apprentices and their employers continue to deliver.”

National Apprenticeship Week 2020 was a hugely successful week. Highlights included:

• Over 900 events taking place across England;
• Research commissioned with Mumsnet, revealing outdated views of apprenticeships holding young people back, resulted in over 60 articles in national press and broadcast media;
• Over 1700 articles, features and interviews about apprenticeships appearing during the Week, locally, regionally and nationally;
• NAW2020 and National Apprenticeship Week trended on Twitter on launch day, with #LookBeyond, #AskAnApprentice and #AskAnEmployer all trended UK wide on Twitter over the course of the Week;
• Apprentices, apprentice employers, parents and teachers all supported the Week on social media, with stakeholder toolkits and assets downloaded over 16,000 times.

Peter Mucklow, Further Education Director, Education and Skills Funding Agency concluded:

“I encourage employers, providers, partners and apprentices to start planning for National Apprenticeship Week 2021 now so we can spend the week collectively celebrating the impact of apprenticeships on individuals and our great businesses and public services.

“In the coming months we will release more details for National Apprenticeship Week 2021. By sharing the date in advance I am hopeful that our many partners will start to plan some fresh and inspiring activity that they will run during the Week.”

The theme of National Apprenticeship Week 2021 will be announced later in the Autumn.

More information on National Apprenticeship Week 2021 will be announced on GOV.UK and on social media channels: @Apprenticeships on Twitter and National Apprenticeship Service on LinkedIn.

To find out more about National Apprenticeship Week 2020.

To find out more about apprenticeships visit the apprenticeships website.

Want to mix studying and hands-on experience? Find out about T-levels, a new qualification available in England from Sept 2020

What are T-levels?

T-levels are a new type of technical qualification, designed for after your GCSEs. They’ve been developed alongside employers to make sure that what you learn meets the needs of industry and prepares you for work. Here’s some key info. to give you an idea of what to expect:

• T-levels are two-year courses
• They are equivalent to three A-levels
• Your time is split: 80% classroom learning; 20% industry placement
• Placements are at least 315 hours (approximately 45 days)
• T-levels could help you get into skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship. 

And yes, you guessed it, the T stands for Technical! 

This is a really exciting time to be taking these pioneering new qualifications and will ensure you stand out from the crowd when looking to get on in your career – Gillian Keegan, Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills.

How are T-levels different to apprenticeships?

Qualification	Time Split
T-levels	80% classroom learning; 20% industry placement
Apprenticeships	80% on-the-job; 20% classroom learning

I am honestly very excited to get a mix of classroom education as well as work experience, I think it will really boost my CV and introduce me to some new life skills as well – future T-level student.

What subject areas do they cover?

In 2020, T-level courses for three subjects launch at selected schools, colleges and other providers in England. New subjects will then be available each year over the following three years:

Autumn 2020	Autumn 2021
– Design, surveying and planning for construction	– Building services engineering for construction
– Digital production, design and development	– Digital business services
– Education and childcare	– Digital support and services
	– Health
	– Healthcare science
	– Onsite construction
	– Science

Autumn 2022	Autumn 2023
– Accounting	– Animal care and management
– Design and development for engineering and manufacturing	– Agriculture, land management and production
– Engineering, manufacturing, processing and control	– Catering
– Finance	– Craft and design
– Maintenance, installation and repair for engineering and manufacturing	– Hair, beauty and aesthetics
– Management and administration	– Human resources
	– Legal
	– Media, broadcast and production

Where can I study T-levels?

You can head over to the T-levels website and pop in your postcode to find providers in your area. You can also find a list of T-level providers on the gov.uk website.

What makes T-levels stand out?

As Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills, Gillian Keegan, explains: “What sets T-levels apart is that they have been co-designed with over 250 global and leading employers so that you can be sure you will gain the knowledge and skills that employers need for the jobs of the future.” The industry placement included in T-level courses also allows you to “gain vital work experience to help you get a head start in your career.”

I think the T-level will be an amazing experience to take part in as it will allow me to create my own opportunities in the future and climb further up the ladder of success. The main pull factor for me are the skills and experience I will gain after the completion of the course and how it’s a ‘stand out’ qualification – future T-level student.

How do T-level grades work?

T-level grades will be given as pass, merit, distinction or distinction*.

This grade will be calculated from a “core” component (marked A* to E) and one or more “occupational specialism” components (marked pass, merit or distinction), combined to form your final grade. 

On completing a T-level, you’ll be awarded a nationally recognised certificate with a breakdown of your achievements, which will also confirm that you’ve met the necessary Maths and English requirements and completed an industry placement. 

Check out the guide below for how UCAS tariff points will work for T-levels: 

UCAS Tariff Points	T-Level Overall Grade	A-Level
168	Distinction*	AAA*
144	Distinction	AAA
120	Merit	BBB
96	Pass (C or above on the “core”)	CCC
72	Pass (D or E on the “core”)	DDD

What do 2020’s T-level students and providers make of it all?

With term starting soon, it’s a fresh new chapter for the first T-level students:

I am excited to start my T-levels… it provides a more hands-on approach to learning and a realistic idea of what my future career will truly be like – future T-level student. 

T-level providers are also gearing up for the change:

This really is going to be the new gold standard qualification for people entering employment… The T-level is perfectly designed to help you hit the ground running when you start work – Matt Reynolds, VP at Cirencester College.

Find out more

Like what you hear? To learn more and see if T-levels could be the right path for you, head to the T-levels website or gov.uk for all the latest information.

There is growing evidence that economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are particularly negative for young people. On the eve of the coronavirus outbreak, workers aged below 25 were more likely than other workers to be employed in sectors that have been effectively shut down as part of the UK lockdown and they are more likely to have lost their jobs since then. This note shows that the economic repercussions of the pandemic threaten to severely disrupt the career progression of young workers, which suggests negative economic impacts on this age group may last well beyond the easing of the lockdown.

Key findings

• Over the last decade, young people starting out in the labour market have increasingly been working in occupations that are relatively low-paid. For example, people born in the 1980s are more likely than those born in the 1970s to start their careers in low-paying occupations such as customer service assistants and nursery workers, and less likely to start in mid-paying occupations such as jobs in metal manufacturing and secretarial work.

• As bad luck would have it, many of these low-paying occupations are in sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 crisis: for example, hospitality and non-food retail. In 2007 around 19% of all people aged between 22 and 25 working in their first full-time job after leaving education were employed in sectors that were essentially shut down during lockdown, while by 2019 this had increased to 22%. By contrast, the share of all employees working in shut-down sectors had fallen slightly from 17% in 2007 to 16% in 2019.

• The growing importance of those ‘lockdown sectors’ as employers of workers at the start of their careers is primarily due to an expansion of the accommodation and food industry. The share of workers starting their careers in this sector increased by about 50%, from 6% to 9%, between 2007 and 2019.

• As other sources of wage growth have dried up, young workers have become increasingly reliant on moving into higher-paying occupations as a source of early-career wage growth. Around 28% of wage growth over the first five years of the careers of workers born in the 1970s could be attributed to moving into a higher-paying occupation. This had risen to around 50% among men born in the 1980s and women born between 1980 and 1984, and to 60% among women born between 1985 and 1989.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has severely dented the career prospects of young people and threatens to have a prolonged negative economic impact on them as a result. Sharp contractions in shut-down sectors will make it harder for young people to take their first step onto the career ladder, while reduced job opportunities will make it harder for them to move into higher-paying occupations.

Coronavirus and the economic impacts on the UK

Below are the main point from surveys carried out during the pandemic which captures businesses’ responses on how their turnover, workforce prices, trade and business resilience have been affected. These data relate to the period 7 to 20 September 2020.

October 2020

• The arts, entertainment and recreation industry had the lowest percentage of businesses currently trading, at 70%, compared with 86% across all industries.
• Wave 15 (21 September to 4 October 2020), 48% of businesses experienced a decrease in turnover; since Wave 12 (10 to 23 August 2020), the trend has flattened compared with a previously steady decrease.
• In Wave 15 (21 September to 4 October 2020), 9% of the workforce were on partial or full furlough leave, unchanged from Wave 14 (6 to 20 September 2020).
• The accommodation and food service activities industry had the highest percentage of businesses with no cash reserves, at 7%, and had the highest percentage of businesses with a severe risk of insolvency, at 17%.  

Sept 2020

• Of businesses not permanently stopped trading, 36% of the workforce were working remotely instead of at their normal place of work.
• Across all industries, 6% of the workforce that were still on partial or furlough leave returned from leave in the last two weeks.
• The accommodation and food service activities industry reported the highest percentage of businesses reporting their risk of insolvency was severe to moderate, at 23%, compared with 11% across all industries.
• The arts, entertainment and recreation industry reported the largest percentage of businesses indicating that operating costs had exceeded turnover, at 40%.
• The arts, entertainment and recreation industry had the highest percentage of businesses reporting they had issued credit notes or vouchers to customers for postponed or cancelled bookings, services or events, at 52%.
• Of businesses not permanently stopped trading, 53% reported having outstanding invoice payments due to them.

August 2020

• Of all responding businesses, most industries reported 90% or more of businesses as currently trading, and as having been, for more than the last two weeks.
• Of businesses that have temporarily paused or closed trading, 6% intended to close some sites in the next three months, compared with 3% of businesses currently trading.
• Across all businesses currently trading, 29% reported that operating costs were greater than, or equal to, turnover.
• The arts, entertainment and recreation sector reported the largest percentage of businesses indicating that operating costs had exceeded turnover at 42%.
• The arts, entertainment and recreation sector reported the highest proportion of the workforce returning from furlough leave in the last two weeks, at 25%, followed by the accommodation and food service activities sector and the construction sector, at 17% and 10% respectively.
• Of businesses that have not permanently stopped trading, 32% had postponed or cancelled bookings, services and events.

July 2020

• The accommodation and food service activities sector reported the largest percentage of businesses starting to trade within the last two weeks after a pause in trading, at 33%.
• The accommodation and food service activities sector reported the highest proportion of the workforce returning from furlough leave, at 18%, followed by the arts, entertainment and recreation sector and the construction sector, both at 15%.
• Of businesses continuing to trade, the wholesale and retail trade sector had the highest percentage of businesses reporting that their turnover increased, at 22%.
• 38% of businesses continuing to trade reported that capital expenditure had stopped or was lower than normal because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

June 2020

• Of businesses in the UK who have temporarily closed or paused trading, 16% reported they expect to restart trading in the next two weeks and 9% expect to start trading again in the next two to four weeks (from the point of completion of the survey).
• At a UK level, 62% of all businesses continuing to trade reported their turnover had been lower than normal between 4 May and 17 May 2020.
• Of businesses intending to restart trading in the next two weeks, from the point of completion of the survey, 12% of the workforce are expected to return from remote working, while 33% are expected to return from furlough.
• The two most common measures that businesses indicated they intend to implement when they restart trading were social distancing and personal protective equipment (PPE), at 89% and 82% respectively. 
• Of all businesses who have not permanently stopped trading, 42% reported they had cash reserves to last less than six months, of which there was little difference between businesses with different workforce sizes.

May 2020

• Of businesses in the UK who responded they were continuing to trade between 20 April and 3 May 2020, 6% responded they had restarted trading in the last two weeks.
• Of businesses continuing to trade, 61% of businesses reported a decrease in turnover outside of normal range in England, compared with 66% in Wales, 65% in Scotland and 63% in Northern Ireland between 20 April and 3 May 2020.
• The accommodation and food services activities sector had the largest proportion of the workforce furloughed across businesses who have not permanently stopped trading, at 78%, in the period 20 April to 3 May 2020.
• The most popular government schemes applied for by businesses who have not permanently stopped trading between 20 April and 3 May 2020, were the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Deferring VAT Payments Scheme, at 76% and 59% respectively.
• Of all businesses who have not permanently stopped trading, 4% reported they had no cash reserves at all.

April 2020

• Of the 6,171 businesses responding to the Business Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Survey (BICS), 24% reported they had temporarily closed or paused trading for the period 23 March to 5 April 2020, 0.3% reported permanently ceasing trading, while 75% were continuing to trade.
• Of all those businesses responding within the arts, entertainment and recreation sector, 82% reported a temporary pause to trading. 
• Two-thirds (66%) of all businesses that were continuing to trade indicated their financial performance was outside of their “normal” range, with 93% of these saying their turnover was lower than “normal”. 
• Of those businesses whose turnover was outside of their “normal” range, the accommodation and food services activities sector had the highest proportion of businesses that responded their turnover was substantially lower than “normal”, at 87%. 
• Of those businesses that continued to trade or had paused trading, 94% indicated that they have an interest in at least one of the government schemes on offer to them; the scheme that was declared of interest most often was the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), having been selected by 80% of responding businesses.
• Of all responding businesses continuing to trade, 60% were confident that they had sufficient financial resources available; only 6% did not feel confident they had the resources available.

Sources from Office of National Statistics and Institute for Fiscal Studies