This week marks National T-Levels Week, an opportunity for employers to explore the potential for the new qualification.
T Levels are new courses which follow GCSEs and are equivalent to three A levels. These two year courses, which launched in September 2020, have been developed in collaboration with employers and education providers so that the content meets the needs of industry while preparing students for work, further training, or further study.
A key part of recent Government reforms to support skills and technical education, and to encourage the creation of the skilled workforces that businesses will need in the future, T Levels also provide students with the experience to progress into well-paid roles, further study, or an apprenticeship. 80% of the courses take place in the classroom, with 20% in work placements.
Baroness Ruby McGregor Smith, chair of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, and president of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said: “T Levels are the future of technical education and a world class alternative to academic A Levels. T Levels Week is a fantastic chance to celebrate them and I want to urge many more students to sign up and employers to offer work placements that will open out an exciting new talent pipeline to their businesses. This is a fantastic opportunity for people all over the country to get behind T Levels and raise awareness over the coming week and beyond.”
A range of T Levels are available of interest to the construction sector, including onsite, building services engineering for construction, and the one most relevant to most ACE members, Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction.
To coincide with the week, the Department for education has shared new guidance and case studies for businesses. These include case studies from construction firms, Eric Wright Group, Low Carbon Construction, and Willmott Dixon. More related case studies can also be found in a recent article in Building Magazine.
To support members interested in exploring the opportunities around T-Levels, ACE has produced a member-only guide and recently welcomed the Department for Education to its HR Forum. Simply register or login with your work email below to download your exclusive guide.
Commenting on the week, Claire Clifford director of people, culture and skills at ACE said: “National T-Levels Week is a great opportunity for businesses to find out more about the new qualification and how it can help them meet future talent needs while supporting the development of local talent pools. It’s great to see the broader construction industry starting to use the scheme and ACE members interested in finding out more can always get in touch with us via our helpline.”
