Technical education in England: T Levels

What are T Levels?

T Levels are two-year technical courses taken after GCSEs and equivalent in size to three A Levels. Launched in September 2020, they offer students practical and knowledge-based learning at a school or college and on-the-job experience through an industry placement of approximately 45 days (20% of the course).

T Levels are intended to sit alongside apprenticeships within a reformed skills training system. They will be based on the same set of employer-designed standards as apprenticeships, but while apprentices will train for a single occupation, T Level students will undertake a broader programme, gaining skills and knowledge relevant to a range of occupations.

The first three T Levels were launched in September 2020 in construction, digital, and education and childcare. Seven more T Levels were launched in September 2021, six in September 2022, two in September 2023, and three in September 2024. A T Level in marketing is due to be introduced in 2025. The Catering T Level has been deferred beyond 2024, while the government is exploring the possibility of a T Level related to the beauty sector.

In 2023, 1.5% of the 16- to 17-year-old population in England were studying T Levels compared to 45.2% who were doing A/AS levels and 18.8% who were following other level 3 courses.

The development of T Levels

In July 2016, the Conservative government published its Post-16 Skills Plan, which committed to implementing the recommendations from the 2016 Report of the Independent Panel on Technical Education.

The plan outlined the government’s desire for academic and technical options at age 16 to be held in similar esteem. The technical option would be delivered by either college-based technical education or apprenticeships, and underpinned by a new framework of 15 ‘technical education routes’ divided into ‘pathways’.

These routes and their pathways will provide training for skilled occupations where technical knowledge and practical skills are required. 11 of the technical routes will have pathways that begin with one or more T Levels, while the other four routes and their pathways will be covered by apprenticeships.

How do T Levels work?

T Levels all follow the same broad framework and primarily consist of:

• A technical qualification. This is the main, classroom-based element and includes core content followed by occupational specialisation. Students will learn about their chosen sectors through a curriculum designed by employers and developed by an awarding organisation.
• An industry placement with an employer. This runs for a minimum of 315 hours (45 days) overall and will give students practical insights into their sector and an opportunity to embed the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom.
• English and maths provision. This is built into the classroom-based element of the T Level with the aim of giving those students who need it a solid foundation of transferable skills.

To pass a T Level and be awarded a certificate, students need to pass all components of the programme (although students are no longer required to achieve either a grade 4 in English and maths GCSE or Level 2 in functional skills to pass their programme). The government hopes T Levels will then support progression directly into skilled employment, an apprenticeship at level 4 or higher, and degrees and other higher education courses in related technical areas.

In April 2024, the Department for Education said it would oversee a twelve-month route-by-route review of the content and assessment of all T Levels.

For students who are not ready to start a T Level, but who may have the potential to progress onto one following some initial preparation, a one-year, post-GCSE T Level Foundation Year has been designed.

Reaction and issues

The Conservative government’s proposals for T Levels, as set out in its Post-16 Skills Plan, received a broadly positive response from stakeholders when they were announced. In opposition, Labour welcomed the introduction of the new qualification, but said it wanted to address what it sees as “current flaws” within the new qualification.

There have been concerns raised about some aspects of the T Level programme as well as subsequent policy developments, particularly around the decision to remove funding from other level 3 qualifications that will overlap with T Levels. The full rollout of T Levels has also been delayed on several occasions, while education providers and employers have expressed concerns about their ability to deliver the industry placement component of the course. A 2024 report by the Education Policy Institute also highlighted issues with student retention, with nearly a third of first-year health and science T Level students dropping out of their programme.

In July 2023, Ofsted published a report on T Levels and the T Level Transition Programme (now renamed the T Level Foundation Year) that said there remained considerable work to do to improve the quality and effectiveness of both. The report said that, at their worst, T Level courses are not what students expected, and many students have been misled and ill-informed about their content and structure. It also noted issues around teaching, staff recruitment and retention, and the quality of industry placements.