Responding to the final report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review

Date:

05 11 2025

Authors:

Stephen Evans

Tagged by:

Lifelong Learning

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Responding to the final report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review published on Wednesday 5 November, Stephen Evans, Chief Executive of Learning and Work Institute (L&W), said:
The Curriculum and Assessment Review is right to recognise the need for vocational pathways for 16-19 year olds alongside A and T Levels, and to keep the requirement to study English and maths up to level 2 but seek ways to make it work better. Making a success of this requires the right resources for further education, more action to expand apprenticeships which are low by international standards, and work with employers on demand for and use of skills. The Government will also need to think about the implications for adult education.
These numbers also mask substantial inequalities within construction. Women account for only 10 per cent of starts in construction apprenticeships so far this year, compared to 51 per cent of apprenticeships overall. In addition, this year only 9 per cent of construction starts are by individuals from minority ethnic backgrounds, with particularly big disparities for apprentices from black or Asian backgrounds. The following years therefore present a unique opportunity to not only further boost apprenticeship numbers in the construction sector, but to expand their reach to wider groups. The new Government should work with employers and providers to seize this.

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