New name. Same problem.

V-levels are being pitched as the solution to the UK’s skills gap — but can a qualification fix what a mindset won’t?

Here we go again. Another rebrand. Another “revolution” in post-16 education. This time it’s V-levels — the government’s shiny new solution to the UK’s skills gap.

They’re being pitched as the answer to a “confusing landscape” of qualifications, replacing BTECs and other technical courses for 16-year-olds. A fresh start, they say. A new era for vocational education.

But forgive us if we don’t start the slow clap just yet. Because we’ve seen this movie before — and spoiler alert, it rarely has a happy ending.

It’s not the name that’s broken. It’s the system.

Every few years, we slap a new label on the same old problem. NVQs, Diplomas, T-levels — now V-levels. Each one promises to finally connect education to employment. Each one quietly fades into the background when it doesn’t.

The issue isn’t branding. It’s alignment.

Too often, these qualifications are designed for employers, not with them. And that’s why the gap between what students learn and what businesses actually need keeps widening.

We don’t need another acronym. We need a system that talks to itself.

The skills gap is real. And it’s not getting smaller.

Everywhere we look, brilliant organisations are short of skilled people. Engineers. Carers. Technicians. Digital specialists. The demand is there — the talent pipeline isn’t.

Meanwhile, young people are being nudged towards the university route like it’s still the only option worth taking. (It’s not.)

Vocational education should be a strong, equal path — not the “backup plan”. But when we keep ripping up and replacing the playbook, it’s no wonder students and employers both lose confidence in the system.

Here’s what we actually believe will work: skills-based hiring.

If we’re serious about closing the gap, we need to change how we hire, not just how we teach.

Skills-based hiring flips the script. It looks at what people can do, not just what they’ve studied. It’s about potential, capability, and curiosity — the things that really matter once someone’s in the job.

We’re seeing more forward-thinking employers drop rigid degree requirements, test for real ability, and discover incredible talent in the process. It’s fairer, faster, and just plain smarter.

Because let’s be honest: the world of work doesn’t care what your certificate looks like. It cares whether you can deliver.

If V-levels can feed that, great. If not, it’s déjà vu.

If V-levels are built hand-in-hand with employers, giving young people real skills that businesses actually value, then we’re all for it.

But if it’s another top-down tick-box exercise with a new logo — we’ll be right back here in a few years, unpacking the next big relaunch.

Our take

V-levels might simplify the qualification alphabet, but they won’t fix the skills gap on their own. The future of work isn’t waiting for government policy — it’s already being rewritten by employers who hire for skills, not status.

So if we really want to prepare young people for the future, we need to stop rebranding education and start rethinking recruitment.

Because skills aren’t the gap. They’re the answer.