News

At Pearson we are committed to understanding the efficacy of our qualifications and continuously improving and updating them to support the best outcomes for students.

Today's report represents an important step towards preparing young people for successful and fulfilling futures.

On 20 October, the government published its Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, setting out significant reforms to vocational education in England. We know you'll have questions about what this means for you and your students, and we want to provide you with clear information and reassurance.

Responding to the government’s Skills White Paper released on 20 October, Freya Thomas Monk, Managing Director of Pearson Qualifications, said:

“The Skills White Paper marks a shift in the system of vocational education for young people that will help tackle the UK’s widening skills gap in industries vital to economic growth.

Introducing the Young Green Briton Challenge

The Young Green Briton Challenge (YGBC) has been inspiring secondary school students across England for the past three years.

 Its core purpose is to empower young people to design and deliver local climate action ventures, while building valuable, transferable green skills for the future.  The challenge is co-designed and delivered by Social Innovation for All and GenEarth, in partnership with cornerstone funder, the Green Britain Foundation.  Since its launch in 2022, YGBC has expanded rapidly, evolving into a national platform for youth-led, school-based climate action.

A new L&W report, sponsored by Pearson, finds that England’s occupational standards are too numerous, often slow to adapt and lack strategic oversight.

With more than twice the number of standards as countries like Germany and Switzerland, the system risks being unwieldy and less effective for employers, learners and the economy.

The research calls for a more streamlined, consistent and flexible approach to ensure apprenticeships and technical qualifications keep pace with change - from green skills to AI.

Disadvantaged students are, on average, one-fifth of a grade behind in English and one-eighth of a grade behind in maths when resitting GCSEs, according to new research from the Education Policy Institute (EPI), funded by Pearson. 

New findings from Pearson (FTSE: PSON.L) reveal that at least 1.65 million primary and secondary students and over 250,000 college students in England may not be both emotionally ready and at the expected academic level to move on to the next stage of their learning.

Pearson, the world’s lifelong learning company, will become one of the British Army’s largest apprenticeship partners, after winning three new contracts to deliver the courses with the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

The Army is one of the biggest apprenticeship providers in the country, giving learners the opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge beyond combat. An army apprenticeship provider since 2010, Pearson TQ will now hold six contracts in total - delivering logistics, healthcare, intelligence, business admin and HR, construction, engineering, policing and veterinary services programmes to around 4,000 learners each year.

The new contracts will see Pearson TQ providing apprenticeships in the following sectors of the armed forces over the next six years:

• In the Catering Training Wing, where students will develop skills in professional cooking, kitchen management, food safety, and facilities supervision, gaining industry-recognised catering and health and safety qualifications.
• In the Royal Military Police, where apprentices will be trained in detainee management, military law enforcement, investigation techniques, and conflict resolution, earning policing and security-related certifications.
• In the Royal Armoured Corps, where students will receive training in vehicle maintenance, engineering operations, and military animal care, equipping apprentices with hands-on technical and welfare skills.
• Within the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, where apprentices will gain expertise in farriery, military animal training, and welfare, developing specialist skills in hoof care, animal behaviour, and obedience training.

Martyn Leader, Vice President of Pearson TQ, said:
“We are delighted to extend our long-standing and successful partnership with British Army apprentices. These new contracts are another step forwards on Pearson’s journey to build on its early careers offer. From logistics and business admin, to catering or veterinary care, these courses are a fantastic path for a diverse range of learners who want to earn while they learn, boost their skillsets and open doors to new opportunities and career paths.”

A spokesperson for the Army said:
“Apprenticeships are fundamental to the Army recruiting offer with over 95% of new joiners enrolling on an apprenticeship. This is the first step of a soldier’s learning journey, the Army invests significantly in skills, education and training through apprenticeships and pathways to higher education. This enables us to create high-performing and technologically astute operators for the future workforce. We look forward to continuing our relationship with Pearson TQ.”