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Open Consultations

AoC Policy Team regularly respond to government consultations, Select Committee Inquiries and Calls for Evidence throughout the year on behalf of the sector across a breadth of issues impacting colleges, staff and students to ensure the voice of colleges is continually represented.

We strongly recommend colleges feedback to the Policy Team and submit their own responses to the current open consultations listed below:

Post-16 L2 and L3 qualifications: 2027 proposed subject content

Department for Education (DfE) content consultation for the first V Levels and Foundation Certificates across education and early years, finance and accounting, digital and hospitality and catering.

Closing date: 4 June 2026.

Feedback to Cath Sezen and Nina Chorzelewski 

Industry Training Board reform

Department for Work & Pensions consultation on proposal to bring together the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) and the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) to create a single, unified Industry Training Board (ITB) to act on behalf of the construction and engineering construction sectors. The consultation also seeks initial views on 2 areas for future ITB reform.

Closing date 14 June.

Feedback to Claire Barker

Regulating post-16 vocational and technical qualifications at Levels 2 and 3

Ofqual consultation on assessment for the new qualifications. This includes details on grading and assessment design for V Levels, Foundation Certificates and Occupational Certificates. It also covers a proposal to introduce greater flexibility for T Level core assessment retakes.

Closing date: 2 July 2026.

Feedback to Cath Sezen and Nina Chorzelewski 

Office for Students consultation on consumer protection

The Office for Students (OfS) is proposing stronger protections for students to ensure institutions are treating them fairly. The new ongoing condition C6 will replace condition C1 (on compliance with consumer protection law) and removal of condition C3 (on student protection plans). 

These proposals will apply to higher education students at colleges. 

Closing date 9 July 2026

Please contact Arti Saraswat to share your views.