The Next Step After Post-16 Study Looks Less Secure

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The latest destination figures follow young people for the year after they finish post-16 study. This time, 77.5% sustained education, an apprenticeship or employment, down 1.5 percentage points on the previous cohort. The Department for Education's figures cover state-funded mainstream schools and colleges together, so they aren't a score for colleges alone. [GOV.UK]

Open doors from an empty FE college corridor towards a street on an autumn morning

Look at the gap, not just the average

The gap between students who were eligible for pupil premium in year 11 and other students widened to 15.9 percentage points, from 14.8. For college leavers specifically, 64.6% of students recorded with learning difficulties or disabilities sustained a destination, compared with 73.9% of those without that indicator. [GOV.UK]

Those differences deserve a proper local look. A college can compare its own results by course level and learner characteristics, then ask careers, SEND and tutorial teams what happened after students left. It should also check how complete its destination records are. The national figures describe young people who finished study in 2023/24 and were followed in 2024/25. They can't tell us why an individual learner's route changed this term.

Employment and apprenticeships account for the fall

Sustained education edged up to 43.4%. Apprenticeships fell to 7.0% and employment to 27.2%. These measures normally require months of participation, not simply a recorded offer or a first day at work. Someone without a recorded sustained destination isn't automatically not in education, employment or training. [GOV.UK]

That distinction matters when new opportunities are announced. The government's partnership with hospitality employers sets a target of 100,000 paid jobs for 18 to 24-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training over three years. It's a recruitment commitment, not a count of filled jobs or a list of local vacancies. College employer teams will need to check what roles exist nearby, whether they're accessible and whether people stay in them. [DWP]

Adult funding has its own year-end test

There was also a concrete answer for some adult provision. DfE says it will fund eligible 2025/26 Adult Skills Fund delivery up to 10% above a provider's DfE allocation. Payment follows review of the final learner return, known as R14, and funding claims. Providers still need accurate data and full evidence. [DfE]

That helps finance teams reconcile work already delivered, but it isn't a blanket 10% rise for every adult-learning contract. Devolved funding follows its own agreement, and this notice doesn't settle 2026/27 delivery. Keep those forecasts separate from the 2025/26 claim.

Small apprenticeship routes need evidence too

Skills England has now published how it considers retiring an apprenticeship. Low starts can trigger a review, but employers and other stakeholders are meant to be heard before a decision. A retired route would get at least 30 days' notice for new starts. [GOV.UK]

That process is already being tested. FE Week reported late on Thursday that five maritime apprenticeships earmarked for retirement will instead be retained after representations from employers, providers, unions and MPs. It's a useful reminder that a small cohort can still serve a real local industry. Colleges should watch the status of the standards they teach and make their case with employer demand and learner outcomes. [FE Week]