T Levels are new courses launching in September 2020 for 16-19 year olds who have completed their GCSEs. Equivalent to three A Levels, the two-year courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses, including Amazon, KPMG, Fujitsu, Skanska, NHS and GlaxoSmithKline, so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work.

T Levels will offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ training during an industry placement of at least 45 days (315 hours). They will provide the knowledge and experience needed to open doors into a skilled job, higher apprenticeship or university.

here will be 25 T Levels in total which are being phased in over the next four years. Students will be able to study a T Level in the following subjects:

• Accountancy
• Agriculture, land management and production
• Animal care and management
• Building services engineering
• Catering
• Craft and design
• Cultural heritage and visitor attractions
• Design, development and control
• Design, surveying and planning
• Digital business services
• Digital production, design and development
• Digital support and services
• Education
• Financial
• Air, beauty and aesthetics
• Health
• Healthcare science
• Human resources
• Legal
• Maintenance, installation and repair
• Management and administration
• Manufacturing and process
• Media, broadcast and production
• Onsite construction
• Science

The first three T Levels, Digital, Construction and Education & Childcare, will be offered at selected colleges, schools and further education providers across England in September 2020. This means that students in Year 11 are the first to be eligible to take a T Level.

We will be launching in September 2020 Digital: Digital Production, Design and Development T Level, as well as the Education and Childcare: Education T Level transition course.

T Levels will become another option for students looking to continue studies after GCSE alongside apprenticeships and A Levels. As part of our wider reforms we are also reviewing qualifications at Level 3 and below to help streamline qualifications available to students at post 16.

A T Level qualification is a two-year course, including the industry placement. This is a significant increase on most current technical education courses, ensuring that students gain as much experience as possible while undertaking the qualification and are well prepared for the workplace.

T Levels will be based on the same high standards as apprenticeships, designed by employers and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.

Apprenticeships are different in that they are typically 80% on-the-job training and 20% in the classroom learning, and are more suited to students who know what occupation they see themselves working in, want to earn a wage, learn at the same time and are ready to enter the workforce at age 16.

Students who successfully complete a T Level will receive an overall grade of pass, merit, distinction or distinction*, along with a nationally recognised certificate to show their overall grade and a breakdown of their results.

A T Level entails the following, which students must complete to achieve a grade:

• A technical qualification, which will cover:
o Core theory, concepts and skills for the student’s chosen industry area
o A specialist skills and knowledge for an occupation or career relevant to the student’s interest
• Direct, hands-on experience in an industry placement with an employer in a relevant field
• A minimum standard in maths and English (if students have not already achieved them)

Yes, to help students get into higher education, UCAS tariff points will be allocated to T Levels, in the same way they are with A Levels. This means they will be just as academically stretching and offer students the options of progressing to a job, higher technical training, a degree or an apprenticeship.

UCAS points will only be allocated to the overall T Level grade. Students must achieve at least an overall pass grade to receive UCAS points.

Each overall T Level grade equates to the following amount of UCAS tariff points:

168 UCAS Tariff Points - Distinction* T Level overall grade
144 UCAS Tariff Points - Distinction T Level overall grade
120 UCAS Tariff Points - Merit T Level overall grade
96 UCAS Tariff Points - Pass (C) T Level overall grade
72 UCAS Tariff Points - Pass (D or E) T Level overall grade

Government will have committed half a billion pounds to delivering T Levels once they are fully rolled out. This includes the recent announcement that the further education sector will receive an additional £400m. This includes funding earmarked specifically to support workforce development and to build capacity on industry placements.

We also recommend that you add a question that covers the specific entry requirements for your school or college.