T-levels: can the new technical qualifications level up further education?

Students in 44 schools and sixth forms across England are taking a bold step this week as they start the new academic year. Instead of choosing the well-trodden path of A-levels or BTEC Nationals, they will spend the next two years in intensive study of a single vocational or technical field as part of the new T-level. How they get on could be critical for the future of further education in the UK.

This year, three pilot courses are being offered: in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction; in Digital Production, Design and Development; and in Education and Childcare. They have been developed over a two-year consultation process between the Department of Education, providers and industry experts.

Gillian Keegan MP, who is in charge of rolling out the new qualification, promises “great progression opportunities” for the students taking the plunge: “We know that the current system does not produce enough young people with the skills, knowledge and experience that employers need”, she told the schools and colleges piloting the T-level this year. Proof of their success, to universities and to employers, is “absolutely vital for businesses and the economy of this country.”

Reaction spoke to executives at three further education (FE) colleges tasked with the job. They have been working with the government and with local employers to develop the teaching curricula, recruit and re-train specialised teachers, and select the students curious and able enough to see the course through.

“When we started marketing T-levels, it was the parents that were really impressed by the concept”, says Morag Davis, assistant principal for technical and vocational education at Nelson and Colne College, Lancashire. “But students are also savvy. They know it’s not easy to find a job, and they know these skills will make them employable.” While numbers have yet to be settled, the college hopes that around 24 of the 2400 full-time 16-19-year-olds will take up the T-level, either in the digital or education streams.

Meanwhile at Suffolk New College in Ipswich, around 15 out of 3,000 students have begun studying the construction track, focusing on civil engineering and surveying. At Barnsley College, South Yorkshire, between 15 and 40 pupils will take each of the three courses on offer this year.

With its combination of classroom teaching, technical projects and a 45-day work placement, the T-level could overturn the perceived poor reputation of technical and vocational training. A Distinction at T-level is equivalent to three A*s at A-level, making the qualification a strong option for applications to Russell Group universities.

For David Ackeroyd, in charge of T-levels at Barnsley College, applications to top universities will be “expected” among the small cohort. Of Barnsley’s 5,000 students, “the vast majority come from the local area, which is one of the areas of highest deprivation in the country”, and 80% of them take vocational or technical qualifications. Unusually among providers, Ackeroyd’s team has selected the students it deems committed enough to take on the intensive program, using interviews and past results. For students at further education colleges like Barnsley, the T-level offers preparation for highly skilled vocational work.

It is less clear, however, whether the rest of the system is ready. Ackroyd warns of the need for “clear coherent routes straight from a T-level into higher technical education” once qualified students leave. Yet apprenticeship numbers remain low, with over twenty times as many A-level students among last year’s 19-year-olds as apprentices. Funding for further education also remains lower than average, disproportionately affecting those from deprived backgrounds in the regions.

The next two years will test whether the T-level is the engine of social mobility it claims to be. The funding is certainly generous, with between £8,000 and £12,000 per student per year earmarked by the Department of Education compared with the £4,000 usually allocated for A-levels. As 21 more courses are tested at nearly 200 institutions across the country, however, disparities in funding, teaching quality and equipment between institutions may exacerbate rather than diminish regional inequalities. Analysis by FEWeek, a news service for the further education and skills sector in England, has shown that the expansion in UK graduates has mainly benefitted students in the South East.

In the short-term, too, the onset of the pandemic threw preparations into question, with six educators dropping out after failing to secure enough work placements with local employers. “It’s a lot of investment in the students, making sure they fit in, and in providing constant assessment”, says Davis at Nelson and Colne.

Employers and industry leaders have been trustees of the T-level from its conception. Alongside academics and public servants, CEOs and managing directors were involved in consultation panels for the curricula. They will be expected to maintain close relations with FE colleges, assessing student performance on work placements, assisting with technical projects (part of the “occupational specialism” part) and offering general teaching and training support.

For its construction pilot, for example, Suffolk New College has secured partnerships with the property developer Hopkins Homes, Suffolk County Council, and the construction group Morgan Sindall. Some of these are pre-existing relationships secured through apprenticeship courses, while others have been secured for the T-level. “These companies realise they can look for future talent”, says Jayne Sheehan, director of engineering and construction at Suffolk New College. Meanwhile, “students will see a realistic work environment and know why they’re doing something.”

This close connection between employers and educators could prove beneficial to local communities as well as to students. If students feel valued on their placements, they’re more likely to come back to where they’ve developed those contacts, even if they go to university”, argues Davis, and some may be offered opportunities straight from school: “if they can get something better locally, we would definitely encourage them to do that.”

Ultimately, however, it will come down to universities and employers to decide whether the T-level offers what it promises. “It’s great for young people who know they want to enter a specific profession”, says Alan Pease, deputy principal at Suffolk New College. “But I wouldn’t say it’s better than the BTEC – it’s different.” By providing a holistic academic and technical experience, with guaranteed work placements for its students, the T-level aims to cut through the rigid divide between “soft” and “hard” skills.

Government ads offer to take students “to the next level” with the T-level. In one sense, years of promises about reforming education to improve value for students and for the economy have finally materialised. Over the next two years, however, the experiences of a few hundred students will determine whether the new qualification brings value to them and their communities. We are about to see whether the T level will help to fulfil this government’s promise to “level up” the country.