Students in England will be able to take a new qualification known as V-levels from 2027, under major reforms designed to give teenagers more flexibility in how they study after GCSEs. The courses will sit alongside A-levels and T-levels, creating a third pathway for 16 to 19-year-olds in the post-16 education system. The first subjects available will be education, finance and digital, with more expected to be announced in the coming months – linked to major employment sectors. The qualifications are being introduced by the Department for Education as part of wider efforts to simplify England’s complex landscape of vocational courses. The government says other vocational qualifications, such as many existing BTECs, will be phased out. Ministers argue the current system can be confusing for students, parents, and employers, and V-levels will create clearer routes into higher education and skilled jobs. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the reforms aim to give young people “real choice and real opportunity to build secure, future-proof careers”. The government also says the changes will support its ambition for two-thirds …