Breaking down the Government’s Post-16 Skills Reform

Paul Thompson – our Director of People & Learning – reflects on the government’s new Post-16 Skills White Paper and what it could mean for apprenticeships, employers and young people in the sport and physical activity sector.

Earlier this month, we asked whether the flurry of skills and apprenticeship pledges at the party conferences represented progress or déjà vu. You can revisit that piece here on the Coach Core website.

Just two weeks later, the government has released its Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, setting out plans to “make post-16 education fit for the future economy.” It’s the biggest set of changes in a decade — but for the young people and employers in the sport and physical activity sector, the question is whether this really marks a turning point or simply another cycle of reform.

What’s actually changing?

The White Paper sets out major reforms to simplify post-16 education, boost employer engagement, and address skills gaps. Key measures include:

• Growth & Skills Levy (from April 2026) – Replacing the Apprenticeship Levy, allowing employers to spend funds on shorter, modular “apprenticeship units” targeting priority skills in areas such as AI, digital, engineering and health.

• Foundation Apprenticeships – A new £3,000 incentive for employers taking on early-career or NEET young people. Target: 30,000 starts by 2030.

• Reformed qualifications – A full review of post-16 qualifications at Levels 2 and 3, introducingV-Levels to sit alongside A-Levels and T-Levels, and creating simpler “Occupational” and “Further Study” pathways.

• Lifelong Learning Entitlement (from 2026) – Four years’ worth of modular funding for adults to study at Levels 4–6, supporting career progression and retraining.

• Technical Excellence Colleges and Local Skills Improvement Plans – New regional partnerships between colleges, employers and local government to tailor training to labour-market needs.

• Procurement advantage for training employers – Government contracts will increasingly favour organisations that evidence workforce investment and training activity.

As a charity that has been working in this space for over a decade, we know how badly under-served many young people are by the current system and we welcome the government tackling that. This is a comprehensive plan — but one that raises a familiar question: will these changes actually reach the young people and communities who most need opportunity?

Do we really need another new qualification?

Among the headline announcements, the introduction of vocational V-Levels as a new equivalent to A-Levels and T-Levels stands out. But for those of us working directly with young people and employers, it’s hard not to feel a sense of déjà vu.

T-Levels were launched with similar ambition: to raise the status of technical education and create a clear, employer-led route into skilled work. Yet uptake has remained well below projections, with around 16,000 completions since 2020, and many colleges reporting barriers around employer placements, curriculum flexibility, and learner suitability.

The risk is that V Levels simply become another brand in an already complex landscape — adding confusion for both learners and employers, without addressing the real issues:

• Too few small and medium employers understand or can access the system.

• Too many young people still don’t know which routes lead to genuine jobs.

• And too many qualifications are designed for learners, not with them.

In the sport and physical activity sector — where careers are diverse, community-based and increasingly hybrid — we don’t need a new label. We need clear, flexible, inclusive routes that fit real lives. Apprenticeships, when designed around employers and local need, already provide that.

At first glance, the new Foundation Apprenticeships look like a win for inclusion — a clear attempt to rebuild entry-level routes for young people who aren’t yet ready for a full apprenticeship or college course. It’s also encouraging to see government introducing a £3,000 employer incentive, recognising that creating meaningful opportunities for young people takes investment and partnership.

However, this incentive should not be limited to Foundation Apprenticeships alone. Extending similar support across all Level 2 and 3 apprenticeships for 16–24-year-olds  would help drive more job creation for young people — particularly those furthest from the labour market — and ensure employers at every level are supported to take that first chance on new talent.

But there are still legitimate questions about whether this is really what young people need, or whether it risks creating a “weaker” proposition that offers less stability, lower pay, and limited progression.

These new programmes will likely sit at or near Level 2, often lasting 9–12 months compared to the 15–18 months of a standard apprenticeship. They’re designed as short, flexible “on-ramps” into work or further training. But research from both the Department for Education and Youth Futures Foundation shows that young people achieving below Level 2 are twice as likely to become NEET compared to those reaching Level 3 or higher.

If Foundation Apprenticeships become a replacement for full, sustained apprenticeships rather than a route into them, we risk creating a system where the most disadvantaged learners are funnelled into lower-level, lower-paid roles with fewer long-term options.

At Coach Core, we’ve seen what works. Young people facing barriers don’t need less of an opportunity — they need more support within a meaningful one. They thrive when programmes:

• Offer real employment with real responsibility;
• Include long-term mentoring and wrap-around care;
• Provide clear progression routes into sustained work or further study; and
• Build both technical skills and personal growth — self-belief, teamwork, communication, and purpose.

If Foundation Apprenticeships are used as stepping stones into full apprenticeships or higher education, they could be valuable. But if they become the new ceiling, rather than the first rung, then we risk limiting the very people the system is supposed to empower.

So what really matters from here?

The White Paper is full of ambition — but not every reform will have equal weight for the young people and employers we work with. From our perspective in the sport and physical activity sector, three areas stand out as the ones that will make or break this reform: the Growth & Skills Levy, devolution, and inclusion.

The introduction of the Growth & Skills Levy could be the most significant shift in employer engagement for over a decade. For larger organisations paying into the levy, the ability to use funds more flexibly — including on shorter, modular “apprenticeship units” — offers real potential. It could allow them to respond quickly to skills needs, test new training approaches, and strengthen internal pipelines for future apprenticeships.

But for smaller sport and community organisations, the benefits are far less certain. Unless levy funds can be transferred or gifted for these new modular units, as they currently can for full apprenticeships, SMEs and charities risk being left behind once again. The very employers most likely to offer meaningful, community-rooted opportunities may find themselves unable to access the flexibility that larger organisations enjoy.

And even for those able to use it, flexibility comes with risk. If modular learning becomes the norm, we risk replacing depth with convenience. The power of an apprenticeship lies in its structure: meaningful employment, sustained mentoring, and time to grow. If this new system prioritises short-term upskilling over long-term investment, it could weaken the very model that has proven most effective for social mobility.

Devolving funding through Local Skills Improvement Plans could also be a turning point. For the first time, combined authorities will play a central role in shaping skills priorities — but that will only work if sport and physical activity is recognised as a serious workforce contributor, not a leisure afterthought. Local leaders must understand the sector’s value in driving employment, health and wellbeing, and social cohesion.

Finally, the government’s renewed emphasis on inclusion is welcome — but ambition alone won’t be enough. Without clear accountability or measurable targets, the promise to support those “furthest from the labour market” risks becoming a slogan rather than a strategy. A new national skills dashboard could play a role here, but only if it measures what really counts: confidence, progression, and community impact, not just qualification completions.

Where Coach Core fits in

Much of what the White Paper sets out already exists within the Coach Core model:

• Employer-led and place-based – We co-design apprenticeships with local employers, building programmes that meet workforce and community needs.

• Inclusive and supportive – Our learning coaches and transitions staff provide one-to-one and wrap-around care, helping apprentices overcome barriers to success.

• Driving workforce growth – Apprentices help organisations diversify, expand their reach, and grow their impact.

• Delivering social value – Each apprenticeship contributes to healthier, more active, and more connected communities.

The next step must be ensuring that sport and physical activity is recognised within the government’s new skills framework — not just as a leisure pursuit, but as a driver of employment, wellbeing, and local regeneration.

Why this matters for our sector

For the sport and physical activity sector, this moment is pivotal. These reforms will shape how thousands of young people access their first job, and how hundreds of community organisations grow their future workforce.

At Coach Core, we know that when a young person gets a real apprenticeship — one with pay, purpose, and support — everything changes. Confidence grows. Skills deepen. Communities benefit.

If the government truly wants a system that opens doors for those furthest from opportunity, it must learn from models like ours — rooted in place, powered by employers, and built on belonging.

Because for all the structural reform and system redesign, what changes a young person’s life isn’t a new qualification name or a modular unit — it’s the chance to be seen, supported, and successful in work that matters.

Progress or déjà vu — the sequel

This White Paper contains much to welcome: ambition, investment, and an employer-led approach. But true progress will depend on whether these reforms reach the young people and small organisations at the heart of our sector.

If the new system enables a young person from a disadvantaged background to earn, learn and stay rooted in their community through a sport or physical activity apprenticeship, then perhaps, finally, progress will feel like progress.

Otherwise, as we said earlier this month — we may be back here again, asking whether we’ve seen it all before.

Keep an eye out for our next blog, where we’ll set out our call to government — outlining the practical steps we believe would make the apprenticeship and skills system truly work for every young person, employer, and community.