Approved post-16 technical qualifications
Lists of level 2 and 3 technical qualifications that meet Skills England's approval criteria. These high quality reformed qualifications meet employer needs.
Applies to England
Documents
Details
This guidance has been transferred from the previous skills body the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) following its closure on 31 May 2025. The guidance is under review and may be subject to change.
The attachments list the current Skills England approvals, and the occupational standards they link to.
These qualifications meet Skills England’s approval requirements.
We can:
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review qualifications at any time
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withdraw approval following a review if our approval requirements are no longer met
Our occupational maps show how qualifications and occupations link together.
Approved occupational entry qualifications
For these qualifications, Awarding Organisations (AOs) must:
- publish the knowledge, skills, and behaviours (KSBs) mapping within the qualification documents
- keep this mapping updated once it is live
This helps:
- employers to see how an individual with this qualification meets their needs
- providers to identify learners’ existing skills from previous learning
DfE funded qualifications
The Department for Education (DfE) approves reformed qualifications for public funding. Qualifications must meet their criteria for funding approval:
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reformed qualifications approved for public funding at level 2 from August 2025
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reformed qualifications approved for public funding at level 3 from August 2025
Spring submissions 2025
We invited AOs to submit new level 3 qualifications in March 2025. The spring submission window closed on 21 March 2025.
Skills England will communicate approval decisions with AOs in August 2025. DfE will communicate funding decisions with AOs in August 2025.