NewsStory

England asks colleges to help 16- to 18-year-olds return to learning

KROV newsroom

11 Nov 2026, 8:49 pm IST1 min read

DiscussionThe story behind the news.

A painted notebook and pencil on a bench beside a lit doorway.

England’s education secretary Lucy Powell asked colleges on November 11 to help 16- to 18-year-olds return to education and gain work experience. She said nearly 150,000 young people in that age group were outside education, employment or training, and urged colleges to work with employers to give them a route into jobs.

Powell pledged to give colleges more flexibility over the hours returning students must spend on English and maths, with room for individual and small-group support. She also promised more certainty about funding for colleges that enrol these students and changes to how progress is recognised.

The Department for Education’s announcement set out those commitments without a start date or a new funding amount.

Cover image is an AI-generated editorial illustration.

Sources and credits

Credit: UK Department for Education (GOV.UK, Crown copyright) · Summarised/translated by KROV · Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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