What are they and how do they work?

T Levels are new career focused vocational qualifications for 16-19 year olds. They are supported by hundreds of British businesses involved in the development and design of the courses. T Level courses are completed over 2 years and taught through a combination of classroom based study and a 45 day industry placement to help students prepare for the world of work, or further study. You can expect to spend 80% of your time in the classroom and 20% on a placement.

Courses are offered by a wide range of colleges across England and offer you an alternative entry into your future career choices. As of September 2022 there were 16 different T Levels to choose from with more becoming available from September 2023.

You can find a range of T Level courses in the following sectors:

• Business and Administration
• Construction
• Digital
• Engineering and manufacturing
• Education and Childcare
• Health and Science
• Legal, Finance & Accounting

From September 2023:

• Agriculture, Land Management and Production
• Animal Care and Management
• Catering
• Craft & Design
• Hairdressing, Barbering and Beauty Therapy
• Media, Broadcast and Production
• Legal Services

The benefits of T Levels?

• The industry placement will provide you with valuable diverse work experience, as well as knowledge of the career opportunities open to you
• It can help you build crucial transferable skills like teamwork, leadership, organisation and communication. It will enable you to put skills and knowledge you’ve learned in the classroom into practice and provide a real understanding of the world of work
• You will also make connections and begin to build your own network of contacts and understand how important this will be as part of the job searching process
• The experience will help you make informed choices about your career path and help to provide you with the experience employers are looking for.

Even if students are unsure about what career path to choose, T Levels are still a good option. The industry placement won’t necessarily focus on one specific role, but will introduce students to a range of job roles/ departments within an organization.

Where can they be studied?

T Levels are studied at college and are offered alongside Level 3 BTECS. Different colleges offer different T Levels, so it’s important to research local colleges to see what is offered. If there is not a T Level in the sector you would like to study, investigate the BTEC alternatives. More subjects are being introduced each year, so also make sure you are aware of any new courses due to be launched.

Where can they lead?

Because the emphasis is on practical learning, T Levels are best suited to preparing students for full-time work or a Level 5 (Higher) or Level 6 (Degree) apprenticeship. They also have UCAS points attached to them and as such students can apply for further and higher education.

However, if you are hoping to study a particular course at university, it is essential that you check with possible universities whether they accept T Levels for your course as universities set their own entry requirements. Link here  to the government website with a list of higher education providers who have confirmed T Levels as suitable for entry on one of their courses – note not necessarily every course.

Please also research any courses you may be considering for practical vs academic modules in order to ensure you have the options you want.

For further information on T Levels you might find the following resources helpful

www.tlevelinfo.org.uk
This site has great case studies from students, employers and parents.

www.tlevels.gov.uk
This site has detailed information about the individual courses’ content.

 

Find out more about T Levels and other options by exploring the links in our Useful Websites section.