'T' time is approaching

Government launches competition for new 'T' (Technical) Level qualification

T Levels have continued to gather pace as the Department for Education (DfE) has launched a competition inviting bids to win the right to develop, deliver and award the first three T Levels from September 2020.

Organisations are being given the chance to develop these new, gold standard qualifications for technical education – as new research shows employers have welcomed the introduction of the new courses.

The first three T Levels in Construction, Digital, and Education and Childcare will be delivered from September 2020 and the DoE has launched the bidding process for groups to win the right to develop and deliver these new qualifications.

Successful bidders will have exclusive rights to deliver each T Level qualification, to make sure it is high-quality, as recommended by Lord Sainsbury in his independent review of technical education in 2016.

Secondary school pupils starting GCSE courses this September will be the first students able to study a T Level when they are rolled out and a new studyby the Department for Education found that employers welcomed the introduction of the new technical courses.

Businesses said that the inclusion of a ‘meaningful and substantial industry placement’ was a particularly positive step to making sure learners are better prepared and motivated for work.

Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton said: 'We will make sure that our changes to technical education enable young people to have the very best choices about how to build their career.

'It is really important that we select the organisations with the right vision, to get the best for the young people taking new T Levels. They will be key to upholding the quality of our reforms and making T Levels a success.