In this article Alex Long, a former T Level student talks about ‘My T Level journey: building the foundation for a career in engineering’.
Post-GCSE options can feel overwhelming to navigate as a young teenager, and on top of this you know these choices are important and will influence where you go after school ends – my experience was no different.
Choosing a T Level
T Levels are a post-GCSE qualification introduced in 2020. One T Level is broadly equivalent to three A Levels, but, T Levels are a mixture of academic and practical education, through 80 per cent classroom-based study and 20 per cent industry placement with an employer, for a minimum of 45 days. The aim is to equip students with the skills and insight they need to confidently decide their next steps when making career related decisions.
For me, the work placement was a big factor in my decision to study a T Level as it allowed me to do 315 hours of work experience, which is a lot compared to other courses on offer. I believed it would provide me with enough real experience to truly decide what I do and don’t like about jobs in the construction sector – the career path I knew I ultimately wanted to pursue. Although many T Level subjects are available, my course (Planning, surveying and design) appealed to me because it covered civil engineering and quantity surveying, as well as other elements of construction that I thought would be useful to know to gain a well-rounded knowledge base for the industry.
My T Level experience
I completed my T Level this summer and my experience surpassed my expectations and provided valuable insight into the construction industry at every step.
I did my placement with the Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) East alliance which includes J Murphy and Sons Limited, Network Rail, Siemens, VolkerRail, and Systra as the designers. Before my placement I hoped to gain experience in quantity surveying and civil engineering so that I could ultimately decide which route I wanted to go down.
But what I experienced was so much more than that. I was able to see all aspects of the project and I realised that I liked planning as well as quantity surveying and I liked the civil engineering work. This is important for me to know moving forwards as I make further decisions in my career for example, whether I want to specialise in a certain area. I’ve completed my course, equipped with a qualification, but also real word experience and knowledge about the job opportunities in the construction and engineering sector, which is in my opinion invaluable.
I loved my experience at my work placement, everyone was very friendly and took the time to explain and show me what day-to-day life is like in a role at TRU East. At the end, TRU even offered me a degree apprenticeship. I am hugely excited and eternally grateful.
Looking to the future
With my T Level completed, my focus now is to do well in my degree apprenticeship in civil engineering which I’m currently completing at Teesside University. My T Level played a major role in helping me secure a place on the degree course and even now I feel I have an added advantage thanks to the academic and practical elements of the T Level.
I would encourage more young people to consider a T Level as their next step and employers to host T Level students. The experience the industry placements provide students makes an immeasurable difference to the lives of the young people who undertake them, opening numerous doors of opportunity.
Employers interested in hosting T Levels students can found out more information on DfE Skills for Life website here
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