Budget 2021 to include funding for T-levels

The chancellor will unveil a spending package for T Levels during his Budget announcement on Wednesday, the BBC has reported.

Rishi Sunak will announce £1.6bn to roll out new T-levels for 16 to 19-year-olds, and £550m for adult skills in England in his autumn statement.

There will also be £830m confirmed to continue a five-year-scheme to modernise colleges.

The £1.6bn funding for colleges over three years to 2024-25 will be used mostly to provide additional classroom hours for up to 100,000 young people taking T-levels. Presently there are about 2,000 students on T-level courses.

An extra £550m is being invested in adult skills through the Skills Fund by 2024-25. This fund offers short courses and so-called "skills boot camps" for adults who have no qualifications beyond GCSE level.

And there is a further £170m for apprenticeships and training.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: "Our future economic success depends not just on the education we give to our children but the lifelong learning we offer to adults."
He said his £3bn investment would create a "skills revolution", which would build on the government's job creation plans and spread opportunity across the UK by transforming post-16 education."