Next generation | A-level results 2026: Why employers must protect the routes beyond university

Record numbers of young people have secured university places, but falling apprenticeship starts among under-19s and a difficult entry-level jobs market have prompted calls for employers to create more routes into skilled work.

Students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their A-level, T-level and vocational qualification results on August 13th, with the proportion achieving the highest grades rising slightly.