Sir Hugo Swire MP took part in a special meeting at Exeter College on Friday 12th July to hear directly the vital, positive impact BTECs and Applied General qualifications have on the life chances of young people and adults in Exeter after the government announced it is considering dropping the qualifications.

The meeting was attended by senior leaders from Exeter College, including Principal John Laramy and Rob Bosworth, the Vice Principal for Schools, Partnerships and Curriculum.

Around 2,500 students at Exeter College are currently studying for BTEC qualifications which are a mixed part-vocational part-academic qualification that offers an alternative, less academic focused 16 – 19 education than A-Levels.

BTECs are equivalent to A-Levels and are taken by young people and adults across the country who want academic qualifications as well as preparation for the workplace and employment. The government is considering withdrawing funding from August 2020 despite the fact 90% of BTEC students are employed full-time after university graduation.

Rob Bosworth of Exeter College said, “It was great to welcome Hugo to the college and talk to him about the impact BTEC qualifications have not just on our students, but also on the local community.

“We have used BTECs to deliver nationally recognized and innovative academies in Sport, Aerospace and Hospitality. BTECs provide a crucial line of sight to industry for thousands of students nationally and we spoke to Hugo about how damaging any government cuts could be for young people if they lose the opportunity to study them.”

Speaking after the meeting, East Devon MP Sir Hugo Swire, said, “It was a real pleasure to speak to students from Exeter College this morning about the benefits of BTECs and other vocational qualifications.

“The proposed withdrawal in funding would render unavailable a popular educational qualification currently chosen by many young people.”