At the heart of the Technical Education reforms, are new qualifications for 16-19 year olds that will give them the technical skills needed for the future.
Designed as a sister product to apprenticeships, T Levels are being developed with employers to give young people the skills that industry needs. They draw on the existing apprenticeship standards, to offer a full time course for young people aged 16-19 in a college, school or training provider that is equivalent to a 3 A-level course.
A key part of the T Level programme is an Industry Placement of 315 hours, helping to put the skills, knowledge and behaviours learnt into practice and giving businesses a chance to “Meet the Future Workforce”. Businesses who have welcomed young people for these placements have found that young people are making effective contributions to the business and are ready to be employed at the end of their course – which can be in a job and/or as an apprentice at a higher level.
In Lancashire we have 4 early adopter colleges, Blackpool & The Fylde College, Cardinal Newman College, Nelson & Colne College and Runshaw College who began offering T Levels in September 2020. They have been joined in 2021 by Burnley College and Preston College.
The first routeways are in Digital, Construction, Education and Childcare, Health and Science, with a further six routeways following by 2023.
If you wish to support technical education in Lancashire and find out more about offering a talented young person an Industry Placement within your business, learn more about our Skills Pledge, where knowledgeable professionals can contact you to discuss how technical education will benefit your business.
To find out what is being offered locally and by which colleges, have a look at the government’s T Levels website.
