T Levels: supporting the success of our students in a changing landscape

Two years ago the UK government announced a significant restructuring of post-16 education. A key development has been the introduction of Technical Levels, or T Levels – which might be described as the ‘sibling’ of A Levels – and the government has said it considers T Levels as “a prestigious technical alternative to A Levels”.

What are T Levels?

They are two-year courses which are taken by students after their GCSEs and are broadly equivalent in size to 3 A Levels. These programmes have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work, further training or study. They offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement of at least 315 hours (around 45 days).

T Levels are large programmes and therefore students are not able to ‘mix’ technical with academic qualifications. So whereas in the past we might have had students arrive at the University with BTECs and A Levels, this is not the case with T Levels. They are based on the same standards as apprenticeships, designed by employers and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE).

When were T Levels introduced?

The first three T Levels launched in September 2020, with a further seven introduced in September 2021 and another six in September 2022. The remaining seven T Levels will begin in September 2023. You can see the latest approved T Levels subjects in my presentation here, and in many cases these will gradually replace BTECs as they come on stream.

T Levels feature in the post-16 education technical landscape up to and including postgraduate level – so T Levels, Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), Higher Level Apprenticeships, Degree Level Apprenticeships and Postgraduate Degree Apprenticeships – and the HTQ ‘quality mark’ can be applied for in relation to vocational Level 4 and Level 5 programmes such as HNDs, Foundation Degrees and Professional Qualifications. This is important as the government has indicated it will fund HTQs, not just HNDs or HNCs as before.

So essentially there is a dual route now available to post-16 students – an academic route (A/AS Levels, small qualifications alongside A Levels and large alternatives to A Levels, including the International Baccalaureate Diploma and Access to HE Diplomas) and a technical route (T Levels, apprenticeships, occupational-entry technical qualifications in areas not served by T Levels, and other specialist qualifications).

How are T Levels different to A Levels?

Colleagues should note that T Levels are very different to A Levels and a key point to stress is the inclusion of a significant work placement (not work experience). So what type of student will a T Level student be, and what does that mean for us?

They will be practically able – their learning is about ‘doing the job’ and applying theory into practice.
They are likely to have been exposed to very up-to-date, commercially relevant cutting-edge equipment, software and manufacturing techniques.
They will have already completed a significant work placement in a setting in the sector in which they wish to work. As a result, they will have relevant industry experience up front.
They may need greater support with academic writing and research techniques because they have come through a vocational route.
They are likely to have a narrower academic focus and interest than incoming A Level students.

A final technical point to note. A successful T Level student will receive a T Level certificate which includes an overall grade for the T Level, shown as pass, merit, distinction or distinction*, a separate grade for the core component, using A* to E, and a separate grade for each occupational specialism, shown as pass, merit or distinction. The certificate will also confirm that the student has completed the industry placement, met any additional mandatory requirements, and a student’s overall T Level grade will be worked out from the grades they achieved on the core component and the occupational specialism(s).