Introducing new T-levels

Equivalent to three A-levels, T-levels are new courses starting in September 2021 that follow GCSEs and are designed in direct collaboration with employers and businesses so the content meets the needs of industry head-on.

These two-year courses offer students a mix of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience and provide the knowledge and experience needed to open the door into skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship.

Crucially, T-levels include an invaluable industry placement of at least 45 days – more than existing technical courses - to give students the best start to their career.

As a renowned specialist in vocational courses, University College Birmingham is one of the very first colleges in the UK to offer this new qualification, starting with the following T-levels in September 2021:

We have also been approved for delivery of the following T-levels in the 2022-23 academic year:

For more information on T-levels, visit www.tlevels.gov.uk. Please contact our Admissions team on 0121 604 1040 if you are interested in studying one of these courses.

Across the UK, the Government is set to launch T-levels in the following subject areas (specific T-levels available at University College Birmingham will continue to be confirmed from 2021):

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
Hair, 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

Why T-levels?

Learn your way

T-levels bring classroom and industry placement together. You’ll spend about 80% of your time in the classroom and 20% in a workplace setting on your placement.

Backed by business

T-levels are backed by leading employers to give you the knowledge and skills for the career you want. More than 200 businesses, including Fujitsu and Skanska, have helped create them.

Pathway to university

Your T-level will be worth UCAS points – a T-level at Distinction* will attract the same number of points as 3 A Levels at A*, so you can progress to university should you wish to.

Qualification that counts

You will get a nationally-recognised certificate showing your overall grade when you pass your T-level, allowing you to progress into a skilled career, higher apprenticeship or university course.

T-levels – the essentials

When will they start?

The first three T-levels will be available at selected colleges and schools across England in September 2021, with more subjects offered in the years that follow.

The first T-levels to be offered at University College Birmingham will be in Education and Childcare and in Health.

Education and Childcare

Learners will study a core curriculum to give them an understanding of child development and how education works, plus key topics such as safeguarding and special educational needs.

They can then focus on one of these areas:

Early years education and childcare
Assisting teaching
Supporting and mentoring students in further and higher education

Health

Learners will study a core curriculum to give them an understanding of working the health and science sector, plus vital topics including good scientific and clinical practice, person-centred care, infection prevention and control in health-specific settings.

They can then focus on one of these areas:

Supporting adult nursing teams and healthcare core
Occupational specialism: supporting the adult nursing team

How T-levels will work with other post-16 choices

T-levels will become one of the main choices for students after GCSE alongside:

Apprenticeships for learners who wish to learn a specific occupation ‘on the job’
A-levels for learners who wish to continue academic education
Other vocational qualifications

T-levels will be based on the same standards as apprenticeships, designed by employers and approved by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute). Students will study over two years and will typically have 1,800 hours of tuition over those years, including their industry placement. This is a significant increase on most current technical education courses.

How T-levels are being developed

Employers and providers are working together to develop each T-level, with support from the Department for Education and the Institute. Groups of employers define the skills and requirements for each T-level course by participating in T-level panels. This ensures that students taking T-levels will develop the technical knowledge and skills required by employers in that industry.

Structure of a T-level

T-level courses will include the following compulsory elements:

A technical qualification, which will include specialist skills and knowledge for an occupation or career
Core theory, concepts and skills for an industry area
An industry placement with an employer
A minimum standard in maths and English if students have not already achieved them

Grading

Learners who pass all the elements of their T-level will get a nationally recognised qualification showing an overall grade of pass, merit or distinction. T-levels will primarily prepare students to move into a skilled job, but can also lead to further technical training, such as higher technical qualifications, higher apprenticeships or a degree. T-levels will be recognised by universities and will carry UCAS points.

T-levels will also set out the details of what students have achieved on their course including:

An overall pass grade for the T-level, shown as pass, merit or distinction
A separate grade for the occupational specialism, shown as pass, merit or distinction
A separate grade for the core component, using A* to E
Grades for maths and English qualifications
Details of the industry placement

Watch a short video from the Department of Education to see how T-levels will work.