England’s mainstream upper secondary curriculum is driven by academic, exam-based GCSEs and A levels, with applied learning qualifications an alternative for ‘less-academic’ 16–18-year-olds. This paper elides two studies of the impact of the BTEC National Diploma on employment and career trajectories, one from the perspective of 16–22-year-olds, another of mature adults. Study 1 explored medium-term impact as students progressed from school to university or work-based learning. Study 2 explored longer-term impact through a life history project spanning 1986–2022 across 10 different industries. Synthesis of the data identified three factors underpinning BTEC’s success: a genuine second chance; teaching and assessment that enabled understanding and promoted learning; strong education/employer links providing real-world experience. Bronfenbrenner’s Bioecological Model provides a theoretical lens, illustrating how knowledge, skills and competences develop best when the educational environment meets the needs of each learner: one-size-fits-all does not work. This paper concludes that all three factors should be mainstream, but significant challenges include our highly politicised policy environment, enduring belief that only exams offer rigorous assessment and lack of an employer engagement system that could support real-world learning. Extra-curricular activities and project qualifications provide applied opportunities for some, but long-term political consensus may be needed for all learners to flourish. © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
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