DIGITAL SUPPORT SERVICES T-LEVEL (Networking and Cybersecurity)

Level 3 T-level Technical Qualification in Digital Support Services

This course is subject to validation

This course is subject to validation and approval

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Course Level

Level 3

Duration

2 years full-time

Placement

315 hours

Entry

September

Fees

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Get an industry-recognised qualification equivalent to three A-levels

Clear route to progress into a skilled career or university study

Are you interested in a career in the digital technology arena? Want to develop an array of valuable technical skills for the modern day world of work? Our T-level Digital Support Services Level 3 course will get you moving with the core training you need for a range of future jobs and study opportunities.

University College Birmingham is one of the first colleges in the UK to offer the new T-level qualification, which combines learning in the classroom with gaining vital ‘on-the-job’ experience. Our two-year course will teach you the essentials of all digital roles, giving you an understanding of data and digital systems, how software and business interact, security, testing, planning and legal issues. You will also have the chance to explore a specialist field, including digital infrastructure, network cabling or digital support.

Equivalent to three A-levels, this T-level course will help you boost your employment prospects by gaining extensive experience on a work placement in a real-world environment, supported by experts in our HIRED employability team. By completing this industry-recognised qualification, you could progress onto jobs ranging from IT support to infrastructure technician, as well as higher education or apprenticeships.

Why choose this college course?

  • BOOST YOUR SKILLS – Build key skills and knowledge related to a range of digital support service roles, as well as enhancing your English, maths and digital skills
  • WORK PLACEMENT – Get to know the world of work and gain essential industry experience through a work placement
  • RECOGNISED QUALIFICATION – Our T-level course has been designed in collaboration with industry to ensure your skills meet employers’ needs and expectations

Our facilities

As part of your learning on this course, you will have access to our computer labs and independent study spaces.

Computer classroom filled with students being taught by a female lecturer.

Our computing facilities are designed to provide students with the best possible learning environment. We offer dedicated teaching labs equipped with high-performance computers and industry-standard software, ensuring students gain hands-on experience with tools used by professionals.

Male lecturer teaching a smaller group of students who are on laptops.

All students have access to modern PC's across our different buildings and quiet study areas for laptop use, making it easy to focus on independent learning and group projects. Whatever your study needs, our facilities are here to support your success.

Course breakdown

Topics you will study:

Year 1

Core Component

Route core topics:

  • How digital technologies impact business and the market environment
  • The ethical and moral implications of digital technology
  • Using data in software design
  • Using digital technologies to analyse and solve problems
  • Digital environments, including physical, virtual and cloud environments
  • Legal and regulatory obligations relating to digital technologies
  • The privacy and confidentiality of personal data
  • The technical, physical and human aspects of internet security
  • Planning digital projects
  • Testing software, hardware and data
  • Digital tools for project management and collaboration

Pathway core topics:

  • Careers within the digital support services sector
  • Communication in digital support services
  • Fault analysis and problem resolution

Year 2

Occupational Specialism

You will be delivered one of the following career pathways in the occupational specialism:

Digital Infrastructure

As an infrastructure technician, you will provide support to internal and external customers, helping them to be productive when using technology to do their own jobs, by using tools to problem-solve and troubleshoot non-routine problems. You will set people up on systems and provide support when they need it, rectifying issues to maintain the organisation’s productivity.

Network Cabling

  • Install, terminate, test and certify network cable infrastructure components
  • As a network cable installer, you will install copper cables which are widely used to inter-connect communicating devices e.g. computers, scanners and printers to servers within office buildings, industrial buildings, hospitals, data centres, and fibre optic cables, which are widely used for connecting between floors within buildings, buildings to buildings and cities to cities, as well as providing the highest speed broadband to homes
  • You will install network equipment in cabinets, in accordance with manufacturer’s specifications including routers, switches and WAN equipment

Digital Support

As a digital support technician, you will learn how to maximise the effective use of digital office technologies, productivity software and digital communications in organisations. You will install, configure and support software applications and operating systems.

You will also have an individual study programme to help you build the skills and experience you need to progress onto higher education or gain employment.

Entry requirements

Our business lecturers are looking for students who are enthusiastic and passionate about business, together with a keen determination to succeed in the digital and business sector, so please contact Admissions if you do not have the specific requirements outlined below.

If you are unsure if your qualification is equivalent or if you wish to check if you meet the entry requirements for this course, please call 0121 214 2919, email feadmissions@ucb.ac.uk or use our live chat.

Academic requirements

  • 5 GCSEs at grade 4 (grade C) including English Language or equivalent.
  • GCSE Maths at grade 5.

English and maths

As applicants are required to achieve English and Maths at grade 4 (grade C) prior to entering this course, University College Birmingham will not offer English or Maths alongside this T-level.

Supporting documents required

School applicants will be required to provide a good school report, which must include attendance. This will be assessed in conjunction with your qualifications and application during the confirmation of your place at University College Birmingham.

Applicant criteria

As this is a 2-year study programme, you will need to be aged 16 to 18 to apply for this course.

Currently, T-level courses are only funded for learners who are under the age of 19 at the point of enrolment. However, the government is currently reviewing the T-level pathway for mature learners, which we hope will be available in the future. If you would like to apply for a related course, please consider Access to Higher Education Diploma (Business).

Placement

T-level courses require you to complete a minimum of 315 hours (approximately 45 days) on placement over the two years. You will be required to work with our HIRED team to secure your placement.

Guaranteed progression

Students who achieve 56 UCAS points or more from this qualification will automatically be guaranteed a place on a degree course at University College Birmingham. Some undergraduate courses require additional entry requirements, so applicants are advised to check entry requirements before applying.

Key information

Teaching and assessment

To achieve this qualification, you must demonstrate your achievement of the Core Component and Occupational Specialism Component.

Core Component:

The Core Component is 100% externally assessed. The assessment consists of:

  • Paper A written examination
  • Paper B written examination
  • Employer-set project

Occupational Specialism Component:

The Occupational Specialism Components are also external task-based assignments and are marked externally by Pearson.

Our teaching and assessment is underpinned by our Learning and Teaching Strategy 2025-2030.

Percentage
70%

of graduate employers say relevant experience is essential to getting a job with them

Work placements

Work placements offer a wealth of benefits alongside your studies, helping you put your learning into practice, develop your skills and understanding of the workplace, boost your CV for your chosen career or enhance your UCAS application for higher education. Our HIRED team can help find the ideal placement for you.

Our Digital Support Services T-level course requires you to complete a minimum of 315 hours on placement. In order to demonstrate threshold competence in digital support services, you will be observed during your industry placement.

We are extremely proud to deliver the T-level in Digital Support Services which will mark a revolution in technical education. University College Birmingham has excellent IT facilities where students can learn about digital support services and latest technologies, with real-life projects and an industry work placement.

Kanwal Rauf Head of Computing Department

Career opportunities

The example roles and salaries below are intended as a guide only.

Digital support technician

Average Salary: £23,000

Infrastructure technician

Average Salary: £32,000

IT support technician

Average salary: £19,000 – £29,000

Network cable installer

Average Salary: £22,000

Aspiring to a higher level career? Complete this course and you could progress onto our Computer Science BSc (Hons)/FdSc, Cybersecurity BSc (Hons)/FdA or Business Management BA (Hons)/FdA course.

HIRED

We are here to support your career goals every step of the way. 

Find out more

Discover more about T-levels

Designed in direct collaboration with employers and businesses, T-levels are a great new route into skilled employment, further study or higher apprenticeships.

Find out more

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