This summer marked the first wave of T Level students completing their courses after the qualification launched two years ago; it’s remarkable to see success stories across every sector – writes Sue Lovelock, Director Professional and Technical Education at Department for Education
T Levels were introduced in 2020 and are equivalent to three A Levels. They enable young people to gain the qualification they need to go onto study at university, do an apprenticeship or get a job, through 80 per cent classroom-based study and 20 per cent industry placement with an employer, for a minimum of 45 days. This means they are gaining hands on experience in the workplace, which is of particular importance to the engineering industry.
T Levels in engineering and manufacturing are available now, in three skills areas, including: Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing, Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing and Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control. Courses are suitable for young people interested in a career in engineering and manufacturing and can lead to careers as CAD Technicians, in engineering maintenance, mechanical engineering, boat building, aerospace engineering and welding.
Over 1,000 students enrolled onto a T Levels course in 2020, and hundreds of employers from across England offered up their organisation as the place of work for these students’ industry placement, seeing it as not only an opportunity for the students, but also for the benefit of their own business. Employers provide students with the hands-on experience of working in a real job, alongside studying, whilst the students themselves help the engineering industry with the recruitment of fresh talent, helping to deliver against diversity objectives and future workforce planning.
We have heard from many employers that the students they host very much bring what they’ve learnt in the classroom into the workplace and arrive with enthusiasm and looking for opportunities to get on in the world of work by choosing a technical qualification.
This year, the number of industry placements needed has increased as the popularity of T Levels grows, and we are now looking for over 10,000 employers to host students in multiple sectors including construction, manufacturing, and engineering. As T Levels continue to grow as a qualification, I would encourage any organisation looking to develop their talent pipeline to get involved by hosting a student as part of their recruitment strategy.
There are currently 16 different T Levels available and by September 2025, this will increase to 25 subjects. T Levels not only open up more avenues for students, but also to employers, providing them with more opportunity to help shape the future of their industry by gaining early access to the newest talent to the sector.
If you are interested in finding out more about the benefits of training and employment schemes, including T Levels, please visit: www.gov.uk/skillssupport