The Access Podcast

2. Spotlight on The Skills and Post-16 Education Bill

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This second episode of the Access Podcast focus on the” Skills and post-16 Education Bill”, which was introduced to Parliament in May 2021.

The Bill comes as new figures show that further and technical education provision boost the economy by £26 billion. According to a report by the Social Mobility Commission, twice the number of disadvantaged 16 to 18-year-olds are in further education than in school sixth forms.


The Bill is now at committee stage in the House of Commons.The proposed abolition of technical qualifications has been delayed for a year, with reassurances that many, if not all, BTecs are likely to continue after an outcry from the sector and strong interventions at the House of Lords.

In this episode of the Access Podcast, we speak to

  • John Butcher, Professor of Inclusive Teaching in Higher Education and Director Access, Open and Cross-curricular Innovation at the Open University (02:51)
  • Dr John Baldwin has 45 years experience in FE, initially as a lecturer, then head of department and later as a senior manager including a responsibility for higher education in the college (29:13)
  • Robin Webber-Jones - Head of Apprenticeships at the University of Derby (55:08)

    • We hope you will find the discussions informative and, the different speakers’ perspectives, enriching.

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