PLANS to withdraw funding for post-16 vocational courses will create a “qualifications gap” affecting tens of thousands of school-leavers and lead to a rise in youth unemployment, a coalition of education and employer groups warned today.

Protect Student Choice campaign said that it was “deeply concerned” over the proposed cuts to applied general qualifications (AGQs), such as BTecs while the uptake of the government’s technical courses (T-levels) remains low.

AGQs are Level 3 qualifications, which include BTecs, for students who want to undertake a broad study of a specific vocational area.

The coalition, which includes organisations representing students and staff in colleges and schools, is calling on the curriculum and assessment review to recommend “reversing the ban on AGQ diplomas and extended diplomas in T-level areas” in its final report which is due to be published in the autumn.

There could be 52,000 fewer young people studying health and science courses each year if funding is removed for AGQs in this area, Protect Student Choice analysis suggests.

It adds that nearly 11,000 fewer young people could study digital courses each year and more than 200,000 students are currently studying AGQs that are “either being scrapped or have an uncertain future.”

It said: “We are deeply concerned that the government’s blanket ban on diplomas and extended diplomas will create a qualifications gap that tens of thousands of students will potentially fall through, leaving many young people without a suitable pathway in the future.”

A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “Through our plan for change, we are building a skills system that will drive forward opportunity and deliver the growth that our economy needs.”