We’ve all heard of A Levels, but what about T Levels? The new qualification is about to see only its third cohort of students receive their results this summer, so you could be forgiven for missing its roll-out over the past few years.
Designed as a high-quality, work-focused alternative to traditional qualifications for those aged 16 – 18, T Levels began life in 2020 and have been developed alongside industry experts to ensure they are relevant to employer needs.
As a charity and leading awarding organisation within technical and vocational education, NCFE is proud to have been selected by government to spearhead the development of the new qualification in key sectors, including Health and Science, Digital, and Education and Early Years.
Students completing a two-year T Level (equivalent to three A Levels) have several options available to them when they finish, including progressing into higher education, beginning an apprenticeship or, crucially, going straight into employment with work-ready skills.
These skills are honed through the industry placement aspect of T Levels. Each course includes a 45-day placement (roughly nine weeks) which is considerably longer and more structured than traditional work experience postings.
Representing 20% of students’ learning time, these placements are a chance for young people to put theory from the classroom into practice, bring fresh perspectives to businesses and start building the soft skills they’ll need for their future career.
Over the course of a placement, they experience various aspects of a business, learn how a modern workplace functions, and build experience relevant to their chosen industry. A recent adjustment to T Level rules now allows students in certain occupations to complete up to 40% of their placements remotely, reflecting changes in workplace norms since the pandemic.
That said, for some occupations such as childcare or health, rules remain as they are. Industry placements in these sectors cannot be delivered remotely and must continue in-person to reflect the level of knowledge and skills students need to demonstrate.
Whether remote or in-person, T Level work placements provide the opportunity to learn skills that cannot be attained in the classroom and offer the opportunity to start building a network of contacts.
Abigail Tighe was one of the first students in England to undertake the Education and Early Years T Level and identified her placements as the highlight of the qualification. She said: “Everything we learned in the classroom really got put into practice. I learned about the role staff members play and how to observe children.
“It also allowed me to teach small groups as part of my observations. I was initially really nervous about this – however, with the support of my tutor and the class teacher, I really enjoyed this experience and putting what I had learned into practice.”
Naturally, the T Level model can’t work without industry and employer buy-in. We need the business perspective to ensure qualifications continue to be relevant in a fast-paced and changing skills environment.
That’s why we’re calling for business experts to share industry insight and knowledge as part of our Technical Education Advisory Board, to ensure T Levels in key sectors are the best they can be.
The voluntary role is approximately 10 hours of work throughout the year and can be completed remotely around other commitments.
If you’re interested in getting involved or want to know more, please contact kaywebber@ncfe.org.uk
To find out more about T Levels visit www.ncfe.org.uk/technical-education/t‑levels