NCFE was founded 178 years ago on the belief that no learner should be left behind, and that principle continues to drive everything we do today. It also underpins one of our five strategic goals: greater reach and impact. We aim to reach more learners each year and enable access to transformational learning experiences that equip them to flourish in their careers and lives. 

A key part of this is finding creative ways to engage those who are most underserved. While this is often associated with disadvantage, geography can create barriers too. In a UK skills landscape that is often shaped by England’s priorities, learners in other nations and Crown Dependencies can sometimes find themselves overlooked. 

The population of the UK and Crown Dependencies is nearly 70 million, and around 85% live in England. In addition, of the roughly 245 awarding organisations (AOs) recognised in the UK, only 13 have a headquarters outside England. This imbalance in learner and AO volumes can unfortunately leave those regions outside England seeming like an afterthought. 

Many AOs design their vocational offer around the industrial needs of England and then apply this approach across to all regions. In some sectors, this works well because workforce needs are broadly consistent across all boundaries of the British Isles. In others, however, there are significant regional differences that vocational qualifications need to reflect. 

The post-16 policy changes from Westminster, which will dramatically change the English landscape, could also have unintended consequences elsewhere if AOs choose to withdraw legacy qualifications that remain valuable in other regions. 

We believe every learner deserves access to vocational qualifications that reflect the realities of their region and support their ambitions. Here are a few examples of how we’re putting that principle into practice and ensuring no learner is left behind. 

Hospitality in Northern Ireland 

Northern Ireland has always had a flourishing Level 3 Tourism and Hospitality education pathway to higher education, with Ulster University offering three undergraduate degrees in Event Management, International Hospitality Management, and International Tourism Management. 

Our Level 3 Travel and Tourism suite is widely used, with pathways in tourism and aviation available. However, a dedicated hospitality qualification that was provided be another AO was withdrawn due to lack of demand in England, leaving Northern Ireland colleges with limited options. 

Recognising the importance of maintaining progression opportunities for these learners, we moved quickly and integrate a brand-new hospitality pathway into our existing qualification. As a result, the route will remain open for learners from 26/27 and beyond. 

Travel and Tourism in Wales 

Keeping on the Travel and Tourism theme, a recent decision by Qualification Wales will move qualifications in this sector from ‘designated’ to ‘approved’. Designated means English qualifications that can be used by Welsh providers, whereas approved means a specific made-for-Wales course. 

We’ve long been a trusted partner for Welsh providers, but now we’re excited to be partnering with Qualification Wales to launch the first approved Level 1, 2, and 3 Travel and Tourism qualifications in 27/28 – or as they will alternatively be called, Cymwysterau Teithio a Thwristiaeth! 

Early Years Educator (EYE) qualifications in British Crown Dependencies 

The Early Years Level 3 qualification landscape saw some dramatic changes in September 2025. Existing qualifications were defunded in England due to the DfE post-16 reforms defunding, alongside updates to the Early Years Educator (EYE) criteria. 

At first, there was limited concern about the impact of these changes. The Education and Early Years T Level was simply updated to meet the new criteria and remained the sole Level 3 qualification available in England for 16-19 learners. In addition, both Wales and Northern Ireland have their own frameworks for Level 3 early years professionals, so were unaffected by these changes. 

However, an important issue emerged for the three British Crown Dependencies: the Isle of Man, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, and the Bailiwick of Jersey. They follow the English EYE criteria, however, are unable to run T Levels – and all other EYE qualifications were withdrawn in line with the reforms. 

NCFE and CACHE have a proud history of supporting all those in the sector, and recognised the gap this created. We subsequently wrote a brand-new qualification, designed specifically for 16-19 learners and fully mapped to the EYE criteria, and made this available for these regions as soon as the criteria changed. 

Crafting solutions in all regions 

These are just a few examples of how NCFE is putting its founding principle into practice today. While policies, qualifications and frameworks will continue to evolve, our commitment remains the same: no learner should be left behind.  

Where reforms create challenges, we will continue to work closely with providers, regulators and employers to find solutions that protect progression opportunities and meet local needs. By offering qualifications that reflect the realities of different regions and sectors, we can help more learners access the opportunities they need to thrive.

Explore our range of 16-19 qualifications and discover how we're helping learners develop the skills, knowledge and confidence to succeed in their next steps.