Regulation

Closure of the vocational and technical qualifications contingency regulatory framework

Updated 18 January 2024

Applies to England, Northern Ireland and Wales

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18 January 2024

To: Responsible Officers of all awarding organisations offering Category A and Category B Qualifications under the VCR Framework

This notice follows on from the previous notices published on 6 August 2021 under Condition VCR1.1(b) and Condition VCR1.8. Those previous notices made the following provision –

  • Condition VCR7.3 was disapplied in respect of all VTQs from 1 September 2021, save that awarding organisations were required to continue to comply with Condition VCR7.3 in relation to any Learner who fell within Condition VCR3.1 as it stood on 24 March 2021.
  • The designation of Category B Qualifications under Condition VCR1.8 was withdrawn for all qualifications from 1 September 2021, save that awarding organisations were required to continue to comply with Condition VCR3 – VCR8 as if that designation still applied in relation to any Learner who fell within Condition VCR3.1 as it stood on 24 March 2021.

Notice under VCR1.1(b)

Ofqual gives notice under Condition VCR1.1(b) that the remaining Conditions in the VCR Framework will be disapplied in respect of all VTQs from 18 January 2024, subject to the transitional and saving provisions specified below.

Transitional and saving provisions

These transitional and saving provisions are made under Condition VCR1.2(c). An awarding organisation must comply with these transitional and saving provisions under Condition VCR1.3(a).

An awarding organisation must continue to comply with – 

  • the transitional and savings provisions made in our notices of 6 August 2021, in respect of any outstanding appeal for a VTQ falling within those notices, and
  • in respect of all other VTQs, Conditions VTQ1 – VTQ6 in relation to any request for an appeal which it has received before the date of this notice.
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