So a friend told me about it
and I hadn't heard about T Levels before,
so I came to an open evening
and since then I've been sold.
The T Levels are a new qualification
aimed at students from 16 to 18
who are following on from their GCSEs
and at the end of the course the T Level will be
the equivalent of three A levels.
For employers, it's going to be really effective for them
because they're going to find that students
have the knowledge that they are looking for
in people that they want to employ.
It was really refreshing that T Levels
were designed with employers
so that the qualification meets industry need.
And they also are valid for UCAS points,
which opens up the opportunities to attend university.
I think it's fresh, it's something new.
It's very flexible in terms of teaching the content.
The T Level qualification
is a great combination of academic
and workplace experience.
The students spend approximately
80% of the time in college
and 20% of the time in the workplace.
I think that's a very good opportunity
for the students,
because what will happen is they will actually go
in the same work environment
that they're hoping to join in the future.
Because it's equivalent to three A levels,
it's really impressive
to other employers and I think, as well,
the work placement is what attracted me
because you actually are doing something,
you're not just learning in the classroom.
You are actually going out and learning in the industry.
There are three T Levels at the moment
that started September 2020,
but from September 2021 there will be 10.
So, for students who haven't quite met
the entry requirements to go directly onto a T Level,
there's a transition year.
It's really fun because they kind of
bring the enjoyment
and the activities into the classroom
where we can actually understand it.
Using Computer-Aided Design systems
like Revit and CAD is extraordinary.
It's better than anything I've done in the past.
It gives you the opportunity to do placements
and have a real feel-out
about how the real life is and how working life is.
Obviously, as teachers, we have a commitment
to students, families,
to give them the best options and the best future
they could possibly get.
After our two years, there is an option
of advanced apprenticeship.
For a time I've been wanting to go to university,
so it's going to help bridge that gap
between college and university
really, really well.
Although at the moment I'm thinking,
well, with my experience,
I might just go straight into the workplace.
I can basically do whatever I want
because I have those options.
I say to parents:
this is one of the best things
that will happen to your children,
because at the moment
with all the skills shortage in the country,
this is an opportunity
for your child to develop employability skills
and able to get a job.
It gives you the opportunities
to go onto a higher apprenticeship,
which can also lead to a degree,
a degree apprenticeship.
Or if you want to go down the route of going to university,
it also gives you that opportunity.
From our perspective, T Levels carry
the same weight as A levels and other qualifications.
They carry UCAS tariff points at the same levels
based on the depth and breadth
of learning and the expected capabilities of the students
and we welcome T Level completers is to come and study
degree courses with us at Stanford University
and we value the learning journey
that those students will have taken.
We, as employers, have kind of shaped
how the T Levels will work.
It's really important
for us to be forward-thinking and really understand
our skills shortages that will be coming forward
and really working with our customers
to tackle that skill shortage.
I really hope that teachers will support T Levels.
It's such a big thing and it's a new thing
that's being brought to the industry
and it is about those teachers
being those role models
and telling their students about T Levels
and what the opportunities are.
If I was 16,
and I was leaving school, having taken my GCSEs,
I would certainly be looking
at the potential of taking a T Level,
mainly due to the hands-on nature of the course.
Although I wasn't 100% sure I'd get everything
from the course at the start,
that I did want, although it did seem really good,
it's ticked literally every box I could have hoped for.
I love the depth of the learning
that the students are getting from it.
Previously as a nursery manager myself,
that was something that I notice that students
maybe didn't have and the depth of knowledge
that they're gaining from it alongside the creative
and practical experience that they're getting
has been fantastic for them.
Some of them felt it's
quite challenging at the beginning,
but they've really developed
the skills as they've gone on
and they're actually really, really enjoying the course,
and we've heard a lot of positive feedback.
What I'm doing,
it's getting me to that next step faster.
If you want to find out more,
you can visit tlevels.gov.uk.
You can find out which providers are offering T Levels in your area
by looking on the website.
Lots of providers have open days where you can find out more.
There's lots of information online, too.
You can follow T Levels
on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.