Powell announces Vocational GCSEs with Digital Tech among options
The new courses in England could start in some subjects from September 2029. They will eventually replace Technical Awards. The subject list is not final and no content has been published.
Lucy Powell, the education secretary, announced new Vocational GCSEs for England on 23 September 2026. Digital Tech is named as a possible subject.
The Department for Education said the courses will be the same size as GCSEs and have nationally set content. Ofqual will regulate assessment and grading.
Parity of esteem cannot remain just a slogan.
They will eventually replace Technical Awards, the current vocational courses for this age group. The department said these vary by provider and have no nationally set content. Other possible subjects include Creative Media Production and Building and Construction.
The department also said new subjects will come from a review of existing GCSEs and the new courses, to avoid unnecessary overlap. It did not say how Digital Tech would sit beside GCSE Computer Science.
LBC reported that Pepe Di'Iasio of the Association of School and College Leaders questioned the name and said the change alone will not remove barriers to take-up. Daniel Kebede of the National Education Union said success depends on sustained investment in schools and teachers.
For pupils and parents, nothing changes yet. Georgia Gould, answering for the department in a written answer on 3 November, said new technical pathways will at first use existing Technical Awards. She said the first Vocational GCSEs could be introduced in some subjects from September 2029. The department said English, maths and science will remain a common entitlement.
The department has not confirmed which subjects will come first. It has not published content for Digital Tech or said when Technical Awards will end. LBC reported that a consultation will follow later this year.