T Level Action Plan 2019

October 2019

Contents Foreword by the Secretary of State for Education 4

T Levels from September 2020 9

T Levels from September 2021 11

T Levels from September 2022 12

T Levels from September 2023 13

Providers delivering in September 2020 16

Providers delivering in September 2021 16

Providers delivering in September 2022 17

Summary 6

Who is this publication for? 6

Main points 6

The Technical Education Reforms 7

Rollout of T Levels 9

T Level providers 16

Rollout of T Levels and selection of providers from 2023 onwards 17

Provider approval by awarding organisations 18

T Level grading, results and certification 19

T Level grading model 19

T Level certificates and statements of achievement 20

UCAS tariff points 21

T Level programmes 23

English and mathematics qualifications that will meet the exit requirement 23

Additional mandatory requirements 23

English, maths and digital and employability skills frameworks 24

Progression to and from T Levels 25

T Level Transition Programme 25

Progression to non-HE destinations 26

Assurance and regulation 27

Working with Ofsted 28

Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education 29

T Level panels 29

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Development of outline content 30

Awarding organisation procurement 30

Occupational Maps 31

Industry placements 32

Timeline of activity to date 32

Industry placement models and approaches framework 32

Employer Support Fund 32

Employer support package 33

Improving access to industry placements for all 33

Industry Placement Quality Assurance framework 33

Capacity and delivery funds 34

National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) 34

Evaluation of support for T Level industry placements 34

Industry placements Across Government 35

Support for delivery 36

Support for teachers and leaders 36

T Level Professional Development 36

Communications and marketing 37

The T Levels Service 37

Wider qualification reform programmes 39

Qualifications review 39

Higher technical education 40

Forward look calendar 42

Annex A – grading examples 43

Annex B – sample certificates 44

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Foreword by the Secretary of State for Education

For too long technical education in this country has been confusing and complex, with too many young people entering the world of work without the skills they or employers need to thrive.

As a former FE student myself, I know how vital it is that we provide high-quality technical education so we can deliver the skills this country needs for the future. The introduction of T Levels from September 2020 will be a game changer - a chance to make sure we equip the next generation with the skills and knowledge that they and employers need to succeed.

These 2-year technical qualifications for young people aged 16 to 19 will be available in a wide range of subjects including accounting, digital production and onsite construction. T Levels, alongside our reformed apprenticeships, will totally transform technical education and training in this country so it rivals the top performing systems offered by our European counterparts.

To support this drive, we recently announced an additional £400 million - the single biggest funding uplift since 2010 – for providers of 16-19 education for the year 2020 to 2021, which includes an extra £25 million for colleges and further education providers to help prepare for the initial rollout of T Levels. This significant change in the sector will help to put our technical education offering on a par with some of the best in the world.

With less than a year to go until the first T Levels are taught, we are continuing to work closely with providers, employers, awarding organisations and other partners to ensure their successful delivery. The providers delivering T Levels from September 2020 have been allocated additional funding to help with the costs of the initial rollout. We have also launched a nationwide communications campaign this autumn to help raise awareness of T Levels amongst young people, parents, teachers and employers.

As part of our wider reforms, we are also reviewing qualifications at level 3 and below to help streamline the qualifications available to students at post-16, ensuring that we only fund those that are high quality, have a distinct purpose and are necessary to support progression to successful careers and higher education.

We also want more people to be able to access higher technical education and training at levels 4 and 5. To support this, we are consulting on measures to boost quality and ensure education at these levels is a prestigious choice for students continuing to study after A levels or T Levels. Investing in our technical education now means we can make sure young people in this country are qualified for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

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The progress that we have made is testament to the commitment from all of our partners to making T Levels a success and I would like to thank them all for their hard work and support for T Levels. Developing and delivering T Levels together will make sure that the new qualification offers a world-class technical education to our young people.

Rt Hon Gavin Williamson CBE MP Secretary of State for Education

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S u m m ar y

T hi s p u bli c ati o n i s t h e t hir d T L e v el A cti o n Pl a n w hi c h t h e D e p art m e nt f or E d u c ati o n h a s

p u bli s h e d a n d ai m s t o pr o vi d e a n i m pl e m e nt ati o n u p d at e f or i n di vi d u al s a n d

or g a ni s ati o n s i nt er e st e d i n T L e v el s. It gi v e s i nf or m ati o n a b o ut t h e pr o gr e s s w e h a v e

m a d e, w or ki n g wit h a wi d e r a n g e of d eli v er y p art n er s, i n t h e d e v el o p m e nt a n d d eli v er y of

T L e v el s.

W h o i s t hi s p u bli c ati o n f or ?

T hi s pl a n i s f or:

• I n d u str y, e m pl o y er s a n d t h eir r e pr e s e nt ati v e b o di e s

• F urt h er a n d hi g h er e d u c ati o n pr o vi d er s, tr ai ni n g pr o vi d er s, a n d t h eir

r e pr e s e nt ati v e b o di e s

• S c h o ol l e a d er s, s c h o ol st aff a n d g o v er ni n g b o di e s i n all m ai nt ai n e d s c h o ol s,

a c a d e mi e s, fr e e s c h o ol s, st u di o s c h o ol s a n d U ni v er sit y T e c h ni c al C oll e g e s

• L o c al a ut h oriti e s, L o c al E nt er pri s e P art n er s hi p s, M a y or al C o m bi n e d A ut h oriti e s,

S kill s A d vi s or y P a n el s, a n d ot h er l o c al p art n er s.

M ai n p oi nt s

T hi s a cti o n pl a n i n cl u d e s i nf or m ati o n o n:

• Pr o gr e s s t o w ar d s t h e d eli v er y of T L e v el s i n 2 0 2 0 a n d pr e p ar ati o n s f or 2 0 2 1

d eli v er y

• T L e v el s w hi c h will b e a v ail a bl e f or d eli v er y i n 2 0 2 2 a n d 2 0 2 3

• H o w pr o vi d er s will b e a bl e t o a p pl y t o d eli v er T L e v el s i n 2 0 2 2

• Cl arifi c ati o n o f v ari o u s T L e v el p oli c y ar e a s, i n cl u di n g gr a di n g, r e s ult s a n d

c ertifi c ati o n a n d U C A S p oi nt s f or T L e v el s

• Wi d er q u alifi c ati o n r ef or m w or k.

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The Technical Education Reforms We published two T Level Action Plans in 2017 and 2018, which provided updates on our progress in the development and implementation of T Levels since the publication of the Post-16 Skills Plan1. The Skills Plan committed to the implementation of all of the recommendations of the Independent Panel on Technical Education (the Sainsbury Report) to introduce a new system of technical education to provide a high quality technical option alongside an academic option for students aged 16-19. Parliament legislated to deliver these reforms through the Technical and Further Education Act 2017.

To raise the quality and prestige of technical education, we are introducing a new national framework of technical qualifications - T Levels. T Levels are new, high-quality, 2 year technical programmes for young people aged 16 to 19. T Levels will sit alongside apprenticeships as one half of a technical education offer, and will equip students with the practical skills, knowledge and behaviours necessary to get a head start in skilled employment or progress to further study, including higher technical qualifications, higher apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships and technical degrees.

We and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the ‘Institute’) have been working with employers, FE providers, awarding organisations and other partners to develop T Levels and have made substantial progress to ensure T Levels are successful from the start of delivery in September 2020. We are incredibly grateful to our partners for their extensive engagement and enthusiasm and we have listened to their suggestions and creative ideas in the development and delivery process. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners over the next few years to make T Levels a reality and success for young people.

Some of the progress that we have made includes publishing a series of models and approaches to ensure industry placements are high quality, meaningful and deliverable across different industries, as well as accessible for all students (May 2019)2. The Institute continues to work with employers to develop and refine outline content, we have recruited providers to deliver the first T Levels in 2020 and recently announced around another 60 providers who will deliver T Levels from 2021. £20 million was also made available to support the FE workforce for the introduction of new T Levels, including £8 million for the Education and Training Foundation to deliver training to prepare teachers and leaders for the rollout of T Levels.

This T Level Action Plan 2019 builds on the previous Action Plans, setting out the details of recent progress and updates on the remaining T Level development areas and gives

1https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/536043/ Post-16_Skills_Plan.pdf 2https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/802703/ Industry_placements_policy_update.pdf

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information about what we expect our next steps will be over the coming months. It reflects our strategy for the next phase of rollout – developing technical qualifications and selecting providers in phases to ensure high quality delivery of T Levels, which grows coverage across the country in a managed way.

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R oll o ut of T L e v el s

W e ar e i ntr o d u ci n g T L e v el s i n p h a s e s st arti n g fr o m S e pt e m b er 2 0 2 0, st arti n g s m all t o

e n s ur e hi g h q u alit y fr o m t h e st art.

T L e v el s fr o m S e pt e m b er 2 0 2 0

T h e fir st t hr e e T L e v el s will b e d eli v er e d fr o m S e pt e m b er 2 0 2 0 b y a s m all n u m b er of

hi g hl y p erf or mi n g pr o vi d er s fr o m a cr o s s t h e c o u ntr y. T h o s e T L e v el s ar e:

Di git al R o ut e

C o n str u cti o n R o ut e

E d u c ati o n a n d C hil d c ar e

R o ut e

Di git al Pr o d u cti o n, D e si g n a n d D e v el o p m e nt T

L e v el

D e si g n, S ur v e yi n g a n d Pl a n ni n g T L e v el

E d u c ati o n T L e v el

W e h a v e m a d e a s u b st a nti al p a c k a g e of s u p p ort a v ail a bl e t o e n s ur e t h e n e w T L e v el s

ar e d eli v er e d s u c c e s sf ull y fr o m t h e st art. T hi s i n cl u d e s:

• £ 3. 7 5 milli o n t o i n cl u d e o n e -off p a y m e nt s t o 2 0 2 0 pr o vi d er s, wit h u p t o £ 9 0, 0 0 0

a v ail a bl e if t h e y ar e d eli v eri n g all t hr e e T L e v el s fr o m S e pt e m b er 2 0 2 0, w hi c h i s

£ 3 0, 0 0 0 p er T L e v el. T hi s i s t o r e c o g ni s e t h e c o st s a s s o ci at e d wit h c o- cr e ati n g T

L e v el s a n d f or e n g a gi n g wit h t h e d e p art m e nt o n p oli c y d e v el o p m e nt, a n d t h e s e

p a y m e nt s will b e p h a s e d o ut o v er ti m e.

• F u n di n g t o c o v er t h e c o st s of c o -cr e ati o n a n d of e n g a gi n g wit h t h e d e p art m e nt o n

p oli c y d e v el o p m e nt will al s o b e m a d e a v ail a bl e t o 2 0 2 0 a n d 2 0 2 1 pr o vi d er s w h o

ar e d eli v eri n g a n y of t h e s e v e n n e w T L e v el s fr o m S e pt e m b er 2 0 2 1. Pr o vi d er s will

r e c ei v e £ 3 0, 0 0 0 f or e a c h of t h e n e w T L e v el p at h w a y s t h e y d eli v er a n d c o ul d

t h er ef or e b e all o c at e d u p t o £ 2 1 0, 0 0 0 if t h e y ar e d eli v eri n g all s e v e n of t h e n e w

p at h w a y s. T h e s e p a y m e nt s will al s o b e p h a s e d o ut o v er ti m e.

• A p a y m e nt of £ 2 0, 0 0 0 f or e a c h 2 0 2 0 pr o vi d er d eli v eri n g t h e T L e v el Tr a n siti o n

Pr o gr a m m e i n 2 0 2 0 t o 2 0 2 1 o nl y. T hi s i s t o r e c o g ni s e t h e c o st s a s s o ci at e d wit h

pr o vi d er s p arti ci p ati n g i n t h e e arl y p h a s e s of d e v el o p m e nt a n d i m pl e m e nt ati o n of

t h e T L e v el Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e a n d e n g a gi n g wit h t h e d e p art m e nt o n t hi s.

• F urt h er f u n di n g h a s b e e n m a d e a v ail a bl e t o m a k e t h e s a m e p a y m e nt t o 2 0 2 0 a n d

2 0 2 1 pr o vi d er s w h o will b e d eli v eri n g t h e T L e v el Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e f or t h e

fir st ti m e i n 2 0 2 1. T hi s f u n di n g i s t o s u p p ort pr o vi d er s d eli v eri n g t h e T L e v el

Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e i n t h e fir st f e w y e ar s a n d will n ot b e a v ail a bl e i n t h e l o n g er

t er m.

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• £ 6 0 milli o n i n v e st m e nt f or i n d u str y pl a c e m e nt s t hr o u g h t h e c a p a cit y a n d d eli v er y

fu n d s t o pr o vi d er s i n t h e 2 0 1 8 t o 2 01 9 a c a d e mi c y e ar, wit h pr o vi d er s i n di c ati n g

t h e y ar e o n t ar g et t o d eli v er T L e v el st yl e pl a c e m e nt s t o 1 0 % of c urr e nt eli gi bl e

v o c ati o n al st u d e nt s.

• £ 2 0 milli o n i n v e st m e nt t o h el p pr e p ar e t h e f urt h er e d u c ati o n w or kf or c e f or t h e

i ntr o d u cti o n of t h e n e w c o ur s e s. T hi s i n cl u d e s t h e £ 8 milli o n T L e v el Pr of e s si o n al

D e v el o p m e nt off er ( T L P D) t h at i s alr e a d y h el pi n g t e a c h er s a n d st aff pr e p ar e f or

t h e r oll o ut of t h e n e w q u alifi c ati o n s a n d t h e £ 5 milli o n T a ki n g T e a c hi n g F urt h er

pr o gr a m m e w hi c h ai m s t o attr a ct i n d u str y e x p ert s t o w or k i n t h e s e ct or.

• £ 3 8 milli o n of c a pit al f u n di n g a v ail a bl e t o t h e fir st T L e v el pr o vi d er s, s o y o u n g

p e o pl e t a ki n g t h e n e w t e c h ni c al c o ur s e s h a v e a c c e s s t o i n d u str y st a n d ar d

e q ui p m e nt a n d hi g h -q u alit y f a ciliti e s t o g ai n t h e s kill s a n d k n o wl e d g e e m pl o y er s

d e m a n d.

• £ 2, 5 0 0 p er T L e v el f or 2 0 2 0 pr o vi d er s t o s u p p ort c o m m u ni c ati o n c o st s s u c h a s

pr o d u ci n g hi g h -q u alit y m at eri al s t o r e cr uit y o u n g p e o pl e. W e e x p e ct t hi s f u n di n g

t o b e s h ort t er m w hil e a w ar e n e s s of T L e v els i s still li mit e d.

J o h n L ar a m y, Pri n ci p al a n d C hi ef E x e c uti v e of E x et er C oll e g e, a 2 0 2 0 pr o vi d er, s ai d:

“ E x et er C oll e g e i s d eli g ht e d t o h a v e b e e n s el e ct e d t o s u p p ort t h e tr a n sf or m ati o n of t e c h ni c al

e d u c ati o n i n E n gl a n d, a s a n e arl y a d o pt er.

B ei n g a 2 0 2 0 pr o vi d er i s gr e at n e w s f or o ur st u d e nt s, e m pl o y er s a n d st aff. T L e v el s ali g n wit h

o ur vi si o n t o b e a n e x c e pti o n al c oll e g e a n d dri v e a li n e of si g ht t o i n d u str y, w hi c h w e s e e a s

k e y f or o ur t e c h ni c al pr o vi si o n.

A w orl d -cl a s s t e c h ni c al e d u c ati o n s y st e m i s a cr u ci al i n gr e di e nt i n i m pr o vi n g pr o d u cti vit y a n d

h el pi n g U K pl c t o c o m p et e o n t h e gl o b al st a g e.

C oll e g e s, li k e E x et er C oll e g e, sit at t h e h e art o f t h eir c om m u niti e s, a n d t h er ef or e t hi s i s gr e at

f or t h e a m biti o n of o ur l e ar n er s, o ur cit y, a n d o ur r e gi o n.”

M or a g D a vi e s, Vi c e Pri n ci p al, N el s o n a n d C ol n e C oll e g e, a 2 0 2 0 pr o vi d er, s ai d:

“ A s a 2 0 2 0 pr o vi d er, N el s o n a n d C ol n e C oll e g e h a v e h a d t h e o p p ort u nit y t o h el p t o d e si g n

a n d s h a p e T L e v el s a n d t h e f ut ur e te c h ni c al e d u c ati o n s y st e m, pr o vi di n g w orl d cl a s s s k ill s t o

y o u n g p e o pl e a n d d eli v eri n g t h e f ut ur e w or kf or c e n e e d e d b y e m pl o y er s a n d t h e e c o n o m y.

O ur l e a d er s a n d t e a c h er s h a v e t hr o w n t h e m s el v e s b e hi n d t h e s e d e v el o p m e nt s

e nt h u si a sti c all y, a n d w e ar e c o m mitt e d t o m a ki n g s ur e t h at T L e v el st u d e nt s e nj o y a

pr o d u cti v e a n d i m p a ctf ul e x p eri e n c e. W e h a v e cr e at e d si g nifi c a nt m o m e nt u m t o i ntr o d u c e T

L e v el s a n d will c o nti n u e o ur e xt e n si v e pl a n ni n g t o e n s ur e w e ar e r e a d y t o d eli v er T L e v el s i n

S e pt e m b er n e xt y e ar.”

1 0

T Levels from September 2021 In last year’s Action Plan we confirmed that the additional T Levels which will be delivered from September 2021 are:

Digital Route Digital Support and Services T Level

Digital Business Services T Level

Construction Route

Onsite Construction T Level

Building Services Engineering T Level

Health and Science Route

Health T Level

Healthcare Science T Level

Science T Level

Making these T Levels available in 2021 will enable us to complete delivery of the T Levels in the Digital, Education and Construction routes and to deliver a further full route in Heath and Science. This will bring the total number of full routes delivered by 2021 to 4, with 10 T Levels available.

We welcomed the 2021 providers to the delivery of the T Level programme at an inaugural event in June. We are expanding our existing engagement activity to this group of providers, so that we can work with them on their delivery planning. These providers will have an opportunity to network and learn from the experience of 2020 providers about what works in preparing, planning and implementing these qualifications. The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) who are offering the first phase of the TLPD for teachers and leaders are expanding their offer to 2021 providers. Each provider is offered a Professional Development Advisor (PDA) who will visit once per term to identify potential CPD needs, with the first visits taking place in September and October. The PDA will direct providers to relevant professional development support for their organisation, managers, teams and individuals and online resources are also available for these providers to use.

There is more information available in the TLPD section of the Action Plan and on the ETF website here.

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Lisa O’Loughlin, Principal of The Manchester College, a 2021 T Level provider, said:

“We are delighted to have been selected as a 2021 T Level provider. This is a fabulous opportunity for the College and, most importantly, our students. Since the Sainsbury review, the College has been on a significant journey of improvement and capacity building to ready us for T Level delivery as we believe this is a once in a generation opportunity to change the face of technical education. Of course, the journey so far has required us to challenge our thinking and delivery models.

As a large college we have faced the challenge of building capacity at significant scale. However, having been part of the National Industry Placement Pilot, delivering 200 industry placements and over 3700 work placements last year, we have seen the profound impact that T Levels could have on our students. We have had countless cases of students being offered very good jobs during, or at the end of, their placement. In an area of considerable deprivation, that has to be our number one priority and has made all of our work so far more than worth it.”

T Levels from September 2022 The T Levels that will be delivered from September 2022 are:

Legal, Finance and Accounting

Legal T Level

Financial T Level

Accountancy T Level

Engineering and Manufacturing

Maintenance, Installation and Repair T Level

Design, Development and Control T Level

Manufacturing and Process T Level

Business and Administration

Management and Administration T Level

Human Resources T Level

The outline content for these T Levels has been developed by panels of employers, who have worked intensively with the Institute to create content relevant to occupations in their industry. Employers taking part include Autodesk, EDF, Ofgem, British Army, Bank of England, the Crown Prosecution Service, KPMG and CIPD. We are hugely grateful for the hard work and dedication of all the employers involved in these panels in designing and developing outline content.

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Weiyen Hung, Bank of England, Chair of the Finance T Level Panel, said:

“My role as Finance T Level Chair has been the chance of a life time opportunity to work with government, other leading employers and professionals in this vital role of readying our young talent with the knowledge and practical skills employers really need. My panel and I believe T Levels will offer young people genuine opportunities to move to the next level, providing every chance to succeed whatever their background, wherever they live, or whatever they choose to do – they can be our lawyers, financiers and accountants of the future!”

As with the first 10 T Levels, the full qualification specification for each of these T Levels will be developed by an awarding organisation (AO). The Invitation to Tender (ITT) process for these T Levels will be launched by the Institute in spring 2020, with a view to announcing the successful bodies in autumn 2020. Drafts of the technical qualification (TQ) content will be made available to providers throughout the development phase.

T Levels from September 2023 We have said that our aim is for all remaining T Levels to be introduced from September 2023. These T Levels are:

Agriculture, Environmental and

Animal Care

Animal Care and Management T Level

Agriculture, Land Management and Production T Level

Creative and Design

Craft and Design T Level

Cultural Heritage and Visitor Attractions T Level

Media, Broadcast and Production T Level

Hair and Beauty Hair, Beauty and Aesthetics T Level

Catering and Hospitality Catering T Level

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We will set out the plans for delivery in 2023 in due course. This table outlines the rollout of T Levels in phases starting from September 2020.

Route 2020 Delivery 2021 Delivery 2022 Delivery 2023 Delivery (rollout to be confirmed)

Education and Childcare

Education

Construction Design, Surveying and Planning

Onsite Construction

Building Services Engineering

Digital Digital Production, Design and Development

Digital Support Services

Digital Business Services

Health and Science

Health

Healthcare Science

Science

Legal, Finance and Accounting

Legal

Financial

Accountancy

Business and Administration

Management and Administration

Human Resources

Engineering and Manufacturing

Maintenance, Installation and Repair

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Route 2020 Delivery 2021 Delivery 2022 Delivery 2023 Delivery (rollout to be confirmed)

Design, Development and Control

Manufacturing and Process

Hair and Beauty Hair, Beauty and Aesthetics

Catering and Catering Hospitality

Agriculture, Animal Care and Environmental Management and Animal Care

Agriculture, Land Management and Production

Creative and Craft and Design Design

Cultural Heritage and Visitor Attractions

Media, Broadcast and Production

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T Level providers We want to ensure that the rollout of T Levels is high quality from the start and our delivery strategy and approach to working with providers reflects this. We have selected a small number of high performing providers to deliver a maximum of 3 T Levels in 2020 and another small group to deliver a further 7 T Levels from 2021. We have worked closely with the 2020 providers to ensure that they have the information and support to develop their capacity and capability to deliver T Levels and have also started work with the 2021 providers too. From 2022 more providers will be able to deliver T Levels and we will continue to broaden the number and range of providers offering the programme in the following years. We will continue to provide support and advice but expect that this will become streamlined over time as T Levels become more mainstream and providers are able to support each other and share best practice.

The details of the T Levels that will be rolled out each year is available in the Rollout of T Levels section.

Providers delivering in September 2020 The first cohort of T Level providers have worked collaboratively with us over the past 18 months to inform our policy development, planning and rollout and support programme. With under 12 months left until the delivery of the first T Levels, we are focusing on more detailed implementation planning with 2020 providers to ensure that robust preparations are well in hand for the first students taking T Levels from next September.

Providers delivering in September 2021 In the T Level Action Plan 2018, we set out the criteria to select providers for T Level delivery in 2021. This criteria was developed to maximise the number of students taking T Levels in the second year of rollout. As a result of the expression of interest process, we have identified around another 60 providers who will deliver T Levels from September 2021 and the details of the providers can be viewed here. By selecting another fairly small group we can continue to provide the right level of support in the early stages of rollout, whilst building the momentum of the programme.

We are delighted to have substantially widened the number of providers offering T Levels in 2021 and look forward to working closely with all 2021 providers as they prepare for teaching T Levels. This includes a broad range of post-16 providers including further education (FE) and sixth form colleges, University Technical Colleges (UTCs) and schools.

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P r o vi d er s d eli v eri n g i n S e pt e m b er 2 0 2 2

A s w e m o v e i nt o t h e d eli v er y of T L e v el s f or t h e t hir d y e ar, w e h a v e s ai d t h at w e e x p e ct

t h e n u m b er of pr o vi d er s t a ki n g p art t o gr o w f urt h er. W e h a v e d e v el o p e d t h e 2 0 2 2 T L e v el

pr o vi d er s el e cti o n crit eri a t o e x p a n d t h e n u m b er of pr o vi d er s d eli v eri n g T L e v el s s o t h e

m o m e nt u m b e hi n d t h e pr o gr a m m e c o nti n u e s t o b uil d a n d t o e n s ur e g o o d q u alit y

pr o vi d er s ar e d eli v eri n g i n 2 0 2 2. W e ar e i nt er e st e d i n attr a cti n g a wi d e r a n g e of p o st -1 6

pr o vi d er s t o off er T L e v el s, i n cl u di n g F E c oll e g e s a n d si xt h f or m c oll e g e s, U T C s, s c h o ol s

a n d i n d e p e n d e nt tr ai ni n g pr o vi d er s.

T o e x pr e s s a n i nt er e st i n d eli v eri n g T L e v el s fr o m t h e 2 0 2 2 t o 2 0 2 3 a c a d e mi c y e ar,

pr o vi d er s will n e e d t o:

• h a v e a n Of st e d r ati n g of G o o d or O ut st a n di n g ( or b e a bl e t o d e m o n str at e t h at

t h e y h a v e a n e q ui v al e nt st a n d ar d of q u alit y – f or pr o vi d er s w hi c h d o n ot y et h a v e

a n Of st e d r ati n g)

• h a v e at l e a st s ati sf a ct or y fi n a n ci al h e alt h, a n d

• c urr e ntl y b e d eli v eri n g t o a mi ni m u m of 1 0 q u alif yi n g st u d e nt s p er T L e v el s u bj e ct

ar e a ( at r o ut e l e v el).

Pr o vi d er s w h o m e et all of t h e crit eri a will b e a p pr o v e d.

Pr o vi d er s will b e a s k e d t o s u b mit a n E x pr e s si o n of I nt er e st ( E OI), w hi c h w e will l a u n c h i n

e arl y J a n u ar y 2 0 2 0, a n d w e will s et o ut t h e d et ail e d crit eri a a n d f urt h er i nf or m ati o n a s

p art of t h at pr o c e s s. T h e E oI pr o c e s s will r e m ai n o p e n u ntil t h e e n d of F e br u ar y, a n d w e

e x p e ct t o a n n o u n c e t h e s u c c e s sf ul pr o vi d er s i n M a y 2 0 2 0.

T h e 2 0 2 0 pr o vi d er s will b e a bl e t o d eli v er a n y of t h e T L e v el s a v ail a bl e i n 2 0 2 2 , s u bj e ct

o nl y t o m e eti n g t h e a w ar di n g b o d y r e gi str ati o n r e q uir e m e nt s. T h e 2 0 2 1 pr o vi d er s will b e

a bl e t o e x p a n d t h eir off er t o d eli v er a n y of t h e a d diti o n al T L e v el s i ntr o d u c e d i n 2 0 2 2, a s

l o n g a s t h e y ar e c urr e ntl y d eli v eri n g t o a mi ni m u m of 1 0 q u alif yi n g st u d e nt s p er T L e v el

s u bj e ct ar e a (r o ut e) t h e y ar e a p pl yi n g t o d eli v er. Pr o vi d er s s u c c e s sf ul f or 2 0 2 2 T L e v el

d eli v er y will b e a bl e t o off er T L e v el s i ntr o d u c e d i n 2 0 2 0 a n d 2 0 2 1. W e will s et o ut t h e

d et ail s of h o w t hi s will w or k w h e n w e l au n c h t h e E oI.

R oll o ut of T L e v el s a n d s el e cti o n of pr o vi d er s fr o m 2 0 2 3o n w ar d s

W e e x p e ct t o a n n o u n c e w hi c h pr o vi d er s will b e a bl e t o d eli v er T L e v el s fr o m 2 0 2 3 n e xt

a ut u m n. W e u n d er st a n d t h at t h e r ef or m s t o t h e wi d er t e c h ni c al e d u c ati o n s y st e m will

h a v e a n i m p a ct o n w h e n pr o vi d er s d e ci d e t o b e gi n d eli v eri n g T L e v el s.

1 7

Provider approval by awarding organisations The AOs are working on developing a Provider Approval Criteria (PAC) for existing and new providers for the delivery of T Levels from September 2020 onwards. The PAC is currently in its draft form and it is expected to be finalised and approved by February / March 2020 and providers will be notified by AOs shortly after this. Currently, AOs are sharing the draft PAC with providers ahead of formal approval, but with a watermark.

18

T L e v el gr a di n g, r e s ult s a n d c ertifi c ati o n

T L e v el g r a di n g m o d el

Si n c e p u bli s hi n g t h e T L e v el c o n s ult ati o n r e s p o n s e l a st y e ar, w e h a v e u n d ert a k e n a

c o n si d er a bl e a m o u nt of w or k t o l o o k at h o w t h e o v er all T L e v el gr a d e s h o ul d b e

c al c ul at e d. T h e m o d el w e h a v e arri v e d at i s o n e t h at will r efl e ct t h e si z e of diff er e nt T

L e v e l q u alifi c ati o n c o m p o n e nt s a n d t h eir r e s p e cti v e gr a d e s. It al s o all o w s f or t h e

i ntr o d u cti o n of a Di sti n cti o n* gr a d e t o r e c o g ni s e str o n g p erf or m a n c e a cr o s s all a s p e ct s of

t h e T Q.

St u d e nt s w h o m e et t h e r e q uir e d el e m e nt s of t h eir T L e v el will b e a w ar d e d a n o v er all

gr a d e, a n d w e c o nfir m e d l a st y e ar t h at t hi s w o ul d b e P a s s, M erit or Di sti n cti o n. F or t h e

hi g h e st l e v el s of a c hi e v e m e nt, w e al s o i nt e n d t o a w ar d a Di sti n cti o n *.

T o b e a w ar d e d a n o v er all T L e v el gr a d e, a st u d e nt m u st p a s s b ot h c o m p o n e nt s of t h eir

T Q , su c c e s sf ull y , c o m pl et e a n i n d u str y pl a c e m e nt, a c hi e v e l e v el 2 E n gli s h a n d m at h s 3 if

t h e y h a v e n ot alr e a d y a c hi e v e d t hi s pri or t o st arti n g a T L e v el, a n d m e et a n y ot h er

r e q uir e m e nt s s et b y t h e T L e v el p a n el wit hi n t h e I n stit ut e. T L e v el s will v ar y i n si z e,

lar g el y d e p e n d e nt o n t h e si z e of t h e T Q a n d o n w h et h er a st u d e nt n e e d s t o c o nti n u e t o

st u d y E n gli s h a n d m at h s.

W e h a v e l o o k e d at a n u m b er of diff er e nt w a y s of c al c ul ati n g t h e o v er all T L e v el gr a d e

a n d i nt e n d t o u s e a m o d el t h at t a k e s i nt o a c c o u nt diff er e n c e s b et w e e n T L e v el p at h w a y s

a n d c al c ul at e s t h e gr a d e a c c or di n gl y. W e b eli e v e t h at t hi s w o ul d b e t h e f air e st w a y of

r efl e cti n g v ari a bl e a s p e ct s of t h e T Q . T h e o v er all gr a d e w o ul d b e b a s e d o n p erf or m a n c e

i n t h e T Q a n d w o ul d r efl e ct:

• t h e c o m p ar ati v e si z e of t he C or e ( 2 0 -5 0 %) a n d t h e O c c u p ati o n al S p e ci ali s m ( 5 0 -

8 0 %) .

• T h e gr a d e f or t h e C or e ( A* -E) a n d t h e O c c u p ati o n al S p e ci ali s m ( P/ M/ D) .

T hi s gr a di n g a p pr o a c h al s o m a k e s it p o s si bl e t o r e c o g ni s e e x c e pti o n al a c hi e v e m e nt,

t hr o u g h t h e a w ar d of a n o v er all Di sti n cti o n* gr a d e f or st u d e nt s t h at a c hi e v e a n A* o n t h e

C or e c o m p o n e nt a n d a Di sti n cti o n o n t h eir O c c u p ati o n al S p e ci ali s m.

A s c or e s -b a s e d al g orit h m w o ul d d et er mi n e t h e o v er all gr a d e f or e a c h T L e v el a n d t o

m a k e t hi n g s e a si er, l o o k u p t a bl e s’ will b e u s e d t o m a k e it e a si er f or st u d e nt s t o s e e h o w

hi g h er o v er all T L e v el gr a d e s ar e d eri v e d fr o m t h e C or e a n d O c c u p ati o n al S p e ci ali s m

c o m p o n e nt gr a d e s. S e e A n n e x A f or e x a m pl e s.

3 E ntr y L e v el 3 if t h e y h a v e a n E d u c ati o n H e alt h C ar e Pl a n.

1 9

There will be just one look up table for each T Level, and there will always be the same instances of each grade available in each look up table: six Passes, six Merits, five Distinctions and one Distinction*. To be awarded a Distinction*, the student must achieve an A* in the Core and a Distinction in the Occupational Specialism(s).

We will not know for certain what the look up table is like for each T Level until the TQ specifications have been approved by the Institute. The detail will be confirmed as each phase of T Levels is approved, starting from spring 2020 for the first three T Levels.

T Level certificates and statements of achievement Students who meet all the required elements of their T Level will be awarded a T Level Certificate. This will specify the title of the T Level and the overall grade that has been achieved as well as the attainment of individual T Level components, including the grades for the TQ. It will also include a ‘look up table’ which will show how the overall grade was derived from the TQ components for the specific T Level.

As well as the overall T Level grade, this will include separate grades for the TQ qualification Core and Occupational Specialism. Reporting both the overall T Level grade and the TQ component grades is seen as useful by employers and higher education providers.

Our aim is to ensure that the T Level certificate reflects the student’s full range of achievements and experience so that it provides employers with valuable information about prospective employees. In addition to the T Level certificate, AOs will provide a breakdown of marks for the TQ, typically in the form of a results slip, enabling students to make decisions about re-takes and appeals. This is the only results information that AOs will generate. If a student leaves the course early or does not pass all elements of their T Level, we want to make sure that they receive recognition for the elements of a T Level they have achieved. Therefore, we will issue a Statement of Achievement that officially confirms which of the requirements have been met. This should help students looking to enter employment or continue their studies or to return to their T Level at a later date.

We are currently developing the T Level Results and Certification Service. This central system will draw together information from a variety of sources in order to generate a T Level certificate or statement of achievement.

Protoypes of this Certificate and Statement of Achievement are at Annex B.

20

UCAS tariff points Although T Levels are primarily designed to provide a direct route to skilled employment, T Level students will have other progression options open to them. These options include higher education at levels 4-6.

We know that about a third of higher education providers use UCAS tariff points as part of their admissions process. Since the T Level Action Plan 2018, we have been working with UCAS and others to determine how tariff points will be allocated to T Levels. We have now confirmed the allocation.

Points will be allocated to overall T Level grades, not to separate elements of the T Level. This is to recognise the value of the T Level programme as a whole. Students must achieve at least an overall Pass grade or higher in order to receive UCAS points. UCAS points will not be allocated where a student receives a Statement of Achievement, although a student may subsequently retake T Level components and meet all the requirements for a Pass.

The size and rigour of a T Level programme is comparable to a 3 A level programme. Therefore, T Levels will attract UCAS points in line with those allocated to 3 A levels. This alignment is based on a notional comparison of standards with A levels and other level 3 qualifications. Although the T Level programme is broadly the same size as a 3 A level programme, the qualifications have different purposes. The T Level programme is intended to help students develop the knowledge and technical skills required for skilled employment. T Levels and A levels therefore measure different abilities, using different grading scales.

The standards of attainment for the TQ component within each T Level programme will be approved by the Institute and regulated by Ofqual. These intended standards of attainment have informed the UCAS tariff allocation for T Levels.

We have worked with the Institute, Ofqual and other delivery partners to establish how T Level standards are intended to align, notionally, with those of other qualifications including A levels. The table below shows the UCAS tariff allocation for T Levels, which has been informed by this intended alignment, and how it compares to the allocation for A levels.

UCAS tariff points T Level overall grade A Level 168 Distinction* A*A*A*

144 Distinction AAA

120 Merit BBB

96 Pass (C or above on the core) CCC

72 Pass (D or E on the core) DDD

21

A T L e v el P a s s gr a d e i s all o c at e d a t ariff s c or e of eit h er 7 2 or 9 6 p oi nt s. T hi s i s t o

r e c o g ni s e diff er e n c e s i n p erf or m a n c e o n t h e c or e c o m p o n e nt. T h at i s:

• w h er e a st u d e nt h a s o bt ai n e d a n o v er all P a s s b y a c hi e vi n g a P a s s i n t h e

O c c u p ati o n al S p e ci ali s m a n d a B or C i n t h e C or e, a t ariff of 9 6 U C A S p oi nt s

( ali g n e d t o 3 C s at A l e v el) i s r e pr e s e nt ati v e of t h eir l e v el of a c hi e v e m e nt.

• W h er e a st u d e nt h a s o bt ai n e d a n o v er all P a s s b y a c hi e vi n g a P a s s i n t h e

O c c u p ati o n al S p e ci ali s m a n d a D or E i n t h e c or e, a t ariff of 7 2 U C A S p oi nt s

( ali g n e d t o 3 D s at A l e v el) i s r e pr e s e nt ati v e of t h eir l e v el of a c hi e v e m e nt.

T h e t ariff p oi nt s all o c at e d t o o v er all M erit a n d Di sti n cti o n T L e v el gr a d e s r e pr e s e nt e v e n

i n cr e m e nt s b et w e e n t h e p oi nt s all o c at e d t o a n o v er all P a s s ( wit h a C or a b o v e i n t h e c or e

c o m p o n e nt) a n d Di sti n cti o n* gr a d e.

Si n c e t h e T L e v el A cti o n Pl a n 2 0 1 8, w e h a v e e n g a g e d wit h a n u m b er of hi g h er e d u c ati o n

pr o vi d er s t o u n d er st a n d m or e a b o ut t h e ki n d s of hi g h er e d u c ati o n c o ur s e s T L e v el

st u d e nt s w o ul d b e s uit e d t o. W e w o ul d n ot e x p e ct hi g h er e d u c ati o n pr o vi d er s t o c o nfir m

t h eir a d mi s si o n s p oli ci e s f or T L e v el s b ef or e t h e a p pr o v e d T Q s p e cifi c ati o n s ar e

a v ail a bl e. W e h a v e r e c ei v e d e n c o ur a gi n g f e e d b a c k fr o m hi g h er e d u c ati o n pr o vi d er s w h o

h a v e h a d t h e o p p ort u nit y t o vi e w dr aft c o nt e nt f or t h e fir st t hr e e T L e v el s.

Pr of e s s or R ut h W hitt a k er, Pr o -Vi c e -C h a n c ell or ( E d u c ati o n & St u d e nt E x p eri e n c e) at

t h e U ni v er sit y of Bri g ht o n s ai d:

“ T h e U ni v er sit y of Bri g ht o n s u p p ort s T L e v el s a s a n e w pr o gr e s si o n p at h w a y a n d w e

w el c o m e t h e o p p ort u nit y t o w or k wit h t h e D e p art m e nt f or E d u c ati o n d uri n g t h e d e si g n st a g e.

Li k e ot h er u ni v er siti e s, w e ar e k e e n t o e n s ur e st u d e nt s will h a v e t h e o pti o n of pr o gr e s si n g

s u c c e s sf ull y fr o m T L e v el s t o a c a d e mi c st u d y at u ni v er sit y. Fr o m w h at w e h a v e s e e n i n t h e

dr aft c o nt e nt, w e b eli e v e T L e v el s h a v e t h e p ot e nti al t o pr e p ar e st u d e nt s f or H E c o ur s e s i n

r el at e d ar e a s at Bri g ht o n. W e will c o nti n u e t o e n g a g e wit h t h e D e p art m e nt w hil e w e c o n si d er

o ur a p pr o a c h t o a d mi s si o n s.”

W e will c o nti n u e t o w or k wit h hi g h er e d u c ati o n pr o vi d er s, U C A S a n d ot h er s t o r ai s e

a w ar e n e s s of T L e v el s a n d s u b s e q u e nt p at h w a y s i nt o hi g h er e d u c ati o n, i n cl u di n g l e v el 4

or 5 cl a s sr o o m -b a s e d t e c h ni c al e d u c ati o n a n d d e gr e e s. T hi s i n cl u d e s e x pl ori n g h o w

U C A S q u alifi c ati o n s i nf or m ati o n s er vi c e s c a n s u p p ort st u d e nt s t o u n d er st a n d t h eir

o pti o n s s h o ul d t h e y d e ci d e t o u n d ert a k e a T L e v el.

2 2

T Level programmes The broad structure and composition of a T Level was the subject of a public consultation in 2017 and has been largely confirmed in previous Action Plans. Information is provided below about some key areas of policy that the Department has continued to develop.

As the AOs develop each qualification, the detail is subject to approval from the Institute and accreditation by Ofqual. Once this is complete, the Institute will publish details of each T Level programme of education on its website, taking into account the Department’s policy.

English and mathematics qualifications that will meet the exitrequirement As previously confirmed, the minimum T Level exit requirement will be GCSE grade 9-4 or a Functional Skills level 2 pass in English and maths or other equivalent qualification, to align with the existing requirements for level 3 apprenticeships. The full list of Functional Skills/GCSE/other alternative qualifications which meet the requirement for T Levels is published in the Specification of apprenticeship standards for England (SASE) on page 18 at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/specification-of-apprenticeship-standards-for-england

Additional mandatory requirements In addition to the content of the new technical qualifications, the T Level programme may include additional mandatory requirements where they are essential for working within a particular occupation. T Level panels advise the Institute on these requirements to ensure T Levels have currency with employers.

We would expect any mandatory additional assessment or certification outside of the TQ to be kept a minimum but they may be included where separate certification is either a legislative requirement, or supports government policy, for entry to employment or to commence an industry placement. We would expect additional mandatory requirements to be funded out of a provider’s 16-19 programme funding, as is currently the case. T Levels will attract additional funding but where any additional mandatory requirements have a significant additional cost, we may take that into account when placing T Levels into confirmed T Levels funding bands. The Institute will publish details of any additional mandatory requirements as part of the components of individual T Levels.

23

English, maths and digital and employability skillsframeworks English, maths and digital competencies will also be embedded throughout T Level technical qualifications. General English, maths and digital competency frameworks have been developed for T Levels. These will be used to support the development of the detailed qualification specifications by signposting competencies that are relevant to particular T Levels.

Employability skills may be needed to achieve performance outcomes or briefs set for the employer set project. The employability skills framework allows T Level panels to draw on (or expand) an exemplar list of transferable skills, attributes, attitudes and behaviours for each T Level.

Both sets of frameworks are set out in the Operating Instructions for the Creation of Outline Content which will be available on the Institute’s website shortly: https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/t-levels/developing-t-levels/

24

P r o gr e s si o n t o a n d f r o m T L e v el s

T L e v el T r a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e

W e ar e d e v el o pi n g t h e T L e v el Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e f or st u d e nt s w h o ar e n ot r e a d y t o

st art a T L e v el b ut h a v e t h e p ot e nti al t o pr o gr e s s o nt o o n e f oll o wi n g a t ail or e d pr e p ar ati o n

pr o gr a m m e .

Si n c e p u bli c ati o n of t h e T L e v el A cti o n Pl a n 2 0 1 8, w e h a v e m a d e si g nifi c a nt pr o gr e s s i n

d e v el o pi n g t h e T L e v el Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e a n d pr e p ari n g f or fir st d eli v er y fr o m

S e pt e m b er 2 0 2 0.

F oll o wi n g o ur st a k e h ol d er e n g a g e m e nt, w e ar e c o nti n ui n g t o d e si g n t h e T L e v el

Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e, a n d will w or k cl o s el y wit h t h e fir st pr o vi d er s o n it s d e v el o p m e nt.

W e will i s s u e a fr a m e w or k f or d eli v er y t h at s et s o ut k e y c o m p o n e nt s t h at ar e n ati o n all y

s et, t o pr o vi d e a br o a d f o u n d ati o n f or T L e v el s, w hil st all o wi n g pr o vi d er s t h e fl e xi bilit y t o

p ut t o g et h er t h e m o st a p pr o pri at e a n d eff e cti v e tr a n siti o n pr o gr a m m e s t ail or e d t o t h eir

st u d e nt s’ n e e d s a n d s u p p ort t h eir pr o gr e s si o n t o T L e v el s . T h e c or e c o nt e nt c o m p o n e nt s

ar e:

• T o a s s e s s st u d e nt s' c a p a bilit y a n d s u p p ort n e e d s i n or d er t o t ail or t h eir Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e t o a d dr e s s t h e s e n e e d s

• H el p st u d e nt s d e ci d e w hi c h T L e v el r o ut e t h e y w a nt t o pr e p ar e f or

Di a g n o sti c a n dg ui d a n c e p eri o d

• F or st u d e nt s w h o d o n ot h ol d at l e a st a G C S E gr a d e 4 i n E n gli s h a n d/ or m at h s a n d ar e r e q uir e d t o c o nti n u e st u d yi n g a s p er t h e c o n diti o n of f u n di n g.

E n gli s h a n d m at h s

• T o d e v el o p t h e s kill s, b e h a vi o ur s, attit u d e a n d c o nfi d e n c e t h at will b e n e e d e d f or st u d e nt s t o c o m pl et e t h e T L e v el i n d u str y pl a c e m e nt.

W o r k e x p e ri e n c e a n dpr e p ar ati o n

• I ntr o d u ct or y s kill s a n d c o n c e pt s t o pr e p ar e st u d e nt s f or t h e T L e v el r o ut e t h e y wi s h t o pr o gr e s s t o.

I nt r o d u ct or y t e c h ni c als kill s

• R el e v a nt a n d m e a ni n gf ul s u p p ort t o a d dr e s s b arri er s t o e d u c ati o n, s u p p ort e m oti o n al a n d/ or m e nt al h e alt h diffi c ulti e s, a n d s u p p ort t h e d e v el o p m e nt of st u d y s kill s, a n d r efl e cti v e a n d r e sili e n c e s kill s.

P a st or al s u p p ort a n dp er s o n al d e v el o p m e nt

T h e fr a m e w or k will s et o ut i nf or m ati o n a n d e x p e ct ati o n s f or h o w t h e T L e v el Tr a n siti o n

Pr o g r a m m e s h o ul d b e d eli v er e d b y T L e v el pr o vi d er s t a ki n g p art i n it s p h a s e d

i m pl e m e nt ati o n i n a c a d e mi c y e ar 2 0 2 0 t o 2 02 1 . T hi s will b e p u bli s h e d s h ortl y.

W e h a v e al s o:

• s i g n e d u p ar o u n d 3 5 v ol u nt e er pr o vi d er s t o d eli v er t h e T L e v el Tr a n siti o n

Pr o gr a m m e fr o m S e pt e m b er 2 0 2 0, t o w or k wit h u s t o e x pl or e diff er e nt d eli v er y

a p pr o a c h e s a n d g at h er g o o d pr a cti c e t o i nf or m n ati o n al i m pl e m e nt ati o n. A m o n g st

ot h er a s p e ct s, t h e s e pr o vi d er s will e x pl or e diff er e nt w a y s of d e v el o pi n g

i ntr o d u ct or y t e c h ni c al s kill s, i n cl u di n g t hr o u g h n o n-q u alifi c ati o n -b a s e d m o d el s;

2 5

a s s e s si n g r e a di n e s s f or a T L e v el a n d r e c o g ni si n g a c hi e v e m e nt, f or e x a m pl e

t hr o ug h l o c all y d e si g n e d c ertifi c at e s.

• A p p oi nt e d t h e A s s o ci ati o n of C oll e g e s ( A o C), w or ki n g wit h T h e C h all e n g e

N et w or k ( T C N) t o s u p p ort t h e s e T L e v el pr o vi d er s i n t h eir pr e p ar ati o n s a n d

d eli v er y, i n cl u di n g t hr o u g h o p p ort u niti e s t o n et w or k a n d s h ar e e x p eri e n c e s

t hr o u g h n ati o n al e v e nt s a n d p e er l e ar ni n g. T h e y will al s o p ull t o g et h er e m er gi n g

g o o d pr a cti c e t o s u p p ort n ati o n al i m pl e m e nt ati o n.

• A n n o u n c e d a d diti o n al f u n di n g of £ 2 0, 0 0 0 f or e a c h pr o vi d er d eli v eri n g t h e T L e v el

Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e i n t h e 2 0 2 0 t o 2 02 1 a c a d e mi c y e ar o nl y , t hr o u g h t h e T

L e v el e arl y a d o pt er f u n d. T hi s i s t o r e c o g ni s e t h e c o st s a s s o ci at e d wit h pr o vi d er s

p arti ci p ati n g i n t h e e arl y p h a s e s of d e v el o p m e nt a n d i m pl e m e nt ati o n of t h e T

L e v el Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e a n d e n g a gi n g wit h t h e d e p art m e nt o n t hi s.

W e ar e t a ki n g a p h a s e d a p pr o a c h t o i m pl e m e nt ati o n, b e gi n ni n g wit h a s m all n u m b er of

pr o vi d er s wit h w h o m w e ar e w or ki n g cl o s el y, a n d s c ali n g u p t h e n u m b er of pr o vi d er s

i n v ol v e d a s t h e pr o gr a m m e d e v el o p s. Wit h t hi s i n mi n d, i n t h e n e w y e ar w e will s e e k t o

i d e ntif y t h o s e 2 0 2 0 a n d 2 0 2 1 T L e v el pr o vi d er s w h o wi s h t o d e v el o p t h eir T L e v el

Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e f or fir st d eli v er y fr o m 2 0 2 1. T hr o u g h t h e T L e v el e arl y a d o pt er

f u n d, w e will m a k e £ 2 0, 0 0 0 a v ail a bl e t o e a c h of t h e s e pr o vi d er s, a s f or t h o s e d eli v eri n g

t h e T L e v el Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e fr o m 2 0 2 0, f or o n e y e ar o nl y .

P r o gr e s si o n t o n o n -H E d e sti n ati o n s

T h e c or e p ur p o s e of a T L e v el i s t o pr e p ar e st u d e nt s f or s kill e d w or k. A s w e s et o ut i n o ur

r e s p o n s e t o t h e T L e v el c o n s ult ati o n i n 2 0 1 8, w e e x p e ct m a n y T L e v el st u d e nt s will b e

a bl e t o m o v e o n fr o m t h eir c o ur s e t o a r el e v a nt a p pr e nti c e s hi p at l e v el 4 or hi g h er,

b uil di n g o n t h e k n o wl e d g e, s kill s a n d b e h a vi o ur s t h e y h a v e s e c ur e d d uri n g t h eir T L e v el

c o ur s e.

I n li n e wit h t h e c urr e nt a p pr e nti c e s hi p f u n di n g r ul e s a T L e v el st u d e nt, li k e a n y ot h er

c a n di d at e, will b e a bl e t o m o v e o n t o a n a p pr e nti c e s hi p at t h e s a m e, l o w er or hi g h er l e v el

t h a n a q u alifi c ati o n t h e y alr e a d y h ol d. B ef or e a l e ar n er st art s a n a p pr e nti c e s hi p, t h eir

pri or l e ar ni n g (i n cl u di n g t h eir T L e v el) m u st b e t a k e n i nt o a c c o u nt b y t h e tr ai ni n g pr o vi d er.

T h e y will b e a bl e t o u n d ert a k e t h e a p pr e nti c e s hi p if it will all o w t h e i n di vi d u al t o a c q uir e

s u b st a nti v e n e w s kill s (r e q uiri n g a mi ni m u m d ur ati o n of 1 2 m o nt h s a n d at l e a st 2 0 % of f-

t h e-j o b tr ai ni n g) a n d t h e c o nt e nt of t h e tr ai ni n g i s m at eri all y diff er e nt fr o m a n y pri or

q u alifi c ati o n or a pr e vi o u s a p pr e nti c e s hi p.

A s q u alifi c ati o n s p e cifi c ati o n s f or i n di vi d u al T L e v el s ar e d e v el o p e d, w e w a nt it t o b e cl e ar

t o b ot h st u d e nt s a n d e m pl o y er s h o w t h e s e c o m p ar e t o t h e l e ar ni n g o ut c o m e s t h at w o ul d

b e a c hi e v e d t hr o u g h t h e e xi sti n g a p pr e nti c e s hi p s a n d w h at o p p ort u niti e s f or pr o gr e s si o n

w o ul d b e a v ail a bl e t o t h e m. W e a n d t h e I n stit ut e will b e l o o ki n g f urt h er at t hi s, a n d ot h er

a p pr o a c h e s t o s u p p ort t h e s e st u d e nt s t o r e a c h f ull o c c u p ati o n al c o m p et e n c e a n d w e

e x p e ct t o s a y m or e a b o ut t hi s o v er t h e c o mi n g m o nt h s.

2 6

Assurance and regulation The Institute and Ofqual are working together to quality assure TQs, giving confidence to employers and learners that their needs are met. The Institute and Ofqual have agreed joint governance structures to harness their respective expertise, and their statutory remits, enabling them to collaborate as efficiently as possible with minimal burden for AOs.

The Institute has overall responsibility for TQ approvals, and for ongoing monitoring and performance management, in the context of the AO service requirements. The Institute will carry out regular reviews to identify any changes to the TQ that are required.

The TQs will be regulated by Ofqual. It is a condition of the contract that an AO must be recognised by Ofqual before they can develop and deliver a TQ. Potential suppliers need to meet Ofqual’s General Conditions of Recognition, and the Conditions for specific TQs. During qualification development, the Institute and Ofqual will provide feedback to AOs at two key checkpoints, before the final product is submitted for Institute approval and Ofqual accreditation.

Ofqual will monitor the TQ in delivery, alongside the Institute’s contractual monitoring. The two organisations will agree on the best way to address any issues that arise, through contractual levers, regulatory levers, or a combination of the two.

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Working with Ofsted Learning providers will be accountable for the quality of their T Level offer. T Level provision will be subject to Ofsted inspection in due course. Ofsted will consult on how the inspection coverage of T Levels might best be integrated into the education inspection framework.

We are discussing with Ofsted how it can contribute more broadly to the success of the rollout. This could include a thematic survey in spring 2020, based on a sample of T Level providers. This would be an in-depth study of providers’ early experiences of implementation, and the findings would be designed to support other providers as they develop their own approaches to T Levels.

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Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education The Institute is a key partner in the delivery of technical education reforms. The Institute is responsible for supporting the work of employers in developing the outline content of each T Level, procuring and approving the TQ element of the T Level and for determining the other elements of the T Level programme. The TQ is procured and developed based on the outline content developed by the T Level panels which include a range of small and large employers, including Fujitsu, IBM, The British Army, Skanska, Accenture and Great Ormond Street Hospital.

T Level panels T Level panels4 for the first 16 T Levels were convened in autumn 2017 to prepare the outline content that will form the basis of the T Levels, with panels for the remaining nine T Levels established from September 2018. These panels are made up of employers, practitioners, providers and representatives of trade organisations. The panels build on the same occupational standards on which apprenticeships are based, which identify the knowledge and skills and behaviour required for the occupations to which they relate and that should be taught as part of the T Levels.

We are grateful to the ongoing work of employers in setting out their expectations for T Levels, and will continue to work in partnership with them and the Institute as the TQ for each T Level is created, through direct engagement with the relevant AO. These employers have worked with enthusiasm and creativity in order to create high quality content that will support young people into skilled jobs in their sectors.

We will ask panel members to play a crucial role in championing T Levels as part of our wider communications and engagement strategy. More than 100 panel members have become T Level Ambassadors and are performing a similar role to the work of the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network. We are using their advocacy through speaking at stakeholder events, promoting T Level developments across social media channels, contributing to blogs and opinion pieces online and in print, as well as encouraging them to offer industry placements in their own organisations or in their supply chains. We are creating further opportunities for the T Level Ambassadors to link into the national advertising campaign. We want to use them to feed back more intelligence and evidence from employers and training providers on the ground around T Level policies and flexibilities. We will also be working closely with professional bodies to ensure that their role in maintaining and promoting professional standards aligns with the expectations set by T Level panels.

4 https://www.instituteforapprenticeships.org/t-levels/outline-content/ 29

D e v el o p m e nt of o utli n e c o nt e nt

O utli n e c o nt e nt cr e at e d b y t h e T L e v el p a n el s i s t e st e d b ef or e b ei n g f or m all y a p pr o v e d:

• w it h pr o vi d er s a n d hi g h er e d u c ati o n i n stit uti o n s t o b e gi n t o i d e ntif y t h e si z e of

e a c h T L e v el a n d t h e f u n di n g it m a y attr a ct a n d t o t e st pr o gr e s si o n o p ti o n s

b e y o n d t h e pr o gr a m m e; a n d

• wit h e m pl o y er s t o e n s ur e t h at it will e q ui p y o u n g p e o pl e wit h t h e k n o wl e d g e a n d

s kill s t h at i n d u str y n e e d s.

T h e I n stit ut e r e g ul arl y c o n s ult s o n o utli n e c o nt e nt f or n e w T L e v el s a s it i s cr e at e d b y T

L e v el p a n el s : htt p s:// w w w.i n stit ut ef or a p pr e nti c e s hi p s. or g/t -l e v el s/ o utli n e-c o nt e nt/

A w a r di n g or g a ni s ati o n pr o c ur e m e nt

T w o A O s h a v e b e e n s u c c e s sf ul i n t h e pr o c ur e m e nt t o d eli v er a n d a w ar d t h e T Q f or t h e

fir st t hr e e T L e v el s f or d eli v er y fr o m S e pt e m b er 2 0 2 0. T h e y ar e N C F E, w h o w a s a w ar d e d

a c o ntr a ct t o d eli v er t h e E d u c ati o n T L e v el, a n d P e ar s o n w h o w a s a w ar d e d c o ntr a ct s t o

d eli v e r T L e v el s i n D e si g n, S ur v e yi n g a n d Pl a n ni n g a s w ell a s Di git al Pr o d u cti o n, D e si g n

a n d D e v el o p m e nt. T h e A O s h a v e b e e n s h ari n g t h e T Q c o nt e nt wit h pr o vi d er s d uri n g t h e

d e v el o p m e nt pr o c e s s.

T h e I n stit ut e p u bli s h e d t h e I n vit ati o n t o T e n d er (I T T) f or t h e w a v e 2 T L e v el s i n M ar c h

2 0 1 9 (f or d eli v er y i n 2 0 2 1) a n d o n 2 O ct o b er c o nfir m e d t h at N C F E a n d Cit y & G uil d s

h a v e b e e n c h o s e n t o d eli v er t h e 7 T L e v el s fr o m 2 0 2 1. Q u alifi c ati o n a p pr o v al i s e x p e ct e d

i n a ut u m n 2 0 2 0 w hi c h w o ul d all o w o n e a c a d e mi c y e ar f or pr o vi d er s t o pr e p ar e f or fir st

t e a c hi n g i n 2 0 2 1.

F or t h e w a v e 3 T L e v el s (li st e d i n t h e T L e v el r oll o ut s e cti o n), th e I T T will b e p u bli s h e d i n

s pri n g 2 0 2 0 wit h s u c c e s sf ul A O s a n n o u n c e d i n a ut u m n 2 0 2 0, f or t h e d eli v er y of T L e v el s

i n 2 0 2 2.

3 0

Occupational Maps The concept of the Occupational Maps was developed by the Sainsbury Report in which the Independent Panel on Technical Education recommended the development of a framework of 15 routes to skilled employment. The Occupational Maps were developed to articulate this common framework across all technical education covering both employment-based (apprenticeships) and provider-based (T Levels) learning. The maps document all the skilled occupations that can be achieved through an apprenticeship or T Level. Occupations are grouped together to show linkages between them and possible routes for progression.

The Institute took responsibility for the Occupational Maps in late 2017 and conducted a public consultation to capture employer and industry feedback on their accuracy. Route panels reviewed the recommendations and approved changes to the maps as a result of this consultation.

The future vision of technical education is that apprenticeships, T Levels and other qualification reforms work together to create a system that: enables easy understanding and navigation and ensures the content of all technical education fits with what is needed to enter occupations now and in the future and helps learners to progress. In order to deliver this vision the occupational maps are evolving to ensure they describe the whole of technical education including apprenticeships, T Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications (at level 4/5). The Institute is carrying out route reviews, which takes a strategic view across all the occupations on each route, to ensure that the Occupational Maps contain all of the occupations that are in scope for technical education. The Institute published the updated Occupational Maps here.

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- - - - - -

Industry placements The industry placement element of T Levels is our biggest opportunity to make sure that young people leave education better prepared to be successful and productive in the workplace. However, we recognise that for both education providers and employers, there are challenges to delivering them. We have therefore started early to build our evidence base by piloting industry placements through the Industry Placement Pilots and by increasing capacity through the capacity and delivery fund (CDF). This has enabled us to learn lessons, identify best practice and refine the policy well in advance of the first teaching of T Levels in 2020, and we are grateful for the vital part that providers and employers have played in this.

Timeline of activity to date

December 2016 August 2017

SeptemberDecember 2017

January May 2018

June August2018

SeptemberDecember 2018

January May 2019

• Evidence gatheringon industryplacements in othertechnical education systems

• Industry PlacementsPilot launched (Sept)

• T Level Consultation published

• Nearly £60m CDF Funding distributedto around 360 providers

• T Level Consultation response published

• NAS expanded tosupport T Levels andoffer support to employers wanting tooffer an industryplacement.

• Industry PlacementPilot with 21 providers completes

• Industry Placementguidance and bestpractice for providersand employers based on Pilot published

• CDF 18/19 placements started.

• Travel Bursaryexpanded for CDFProviders 18/19.

• T Level Action Plan 2018 published.

• Industry PlacementPilot Evaluation published.

• Provider supportworkshops held across England

• Extensive engagement with employers acrossdifferent routes

• T Level Fundingconsultation launched

• Industry PlacementOpen Days hosted by Pilot Providers

• Provider supportworkshops held across England

• Intensive providersupport implemented for those in need

• International Evidence publishedby GatsbyFoundation

• DfE hosts first industry placementstudents

• Policy Statementpublished

• T Level fundingconsultation closed

Industry placement models and approaches framework In May, we published an Industry Placement Policy Statement which sets out industry placement policy and plans from September 2019. As part of this, we announced further models and approaches for delivery of placements to help ensure they are meaningful and reflective of differing industry needs and practices, as well as accessible for students across different locations and with different backgrounds and circumstances. These can be viewed here. These models will be trialled in the 2019/2020 academic year so we can work with post-16 providers and industry to make any further tweaks before T Levels rollout.

Employer Support Fund A £7m Employer Support Fund pilot will be launched in the 2019/20 academic year, to trial the provision of financial support to employers. This will help us to understand better

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the financial barriers faced by employers to offering placements and how these differ across industries. CDF providers within the South West and West Midlands have now been invited to take part in this pilot. We have selected providers in these regions to ensure that there is a good mix of area types (for example rural, urban and opportunity areas) plus a mix of employer and provider types. Selecting providers in these regions also allows us to maximise the number of industry placements that are in the pilot to give us the most robust findings. This will allow us to look at the difference the funding makes to provision of industry placements depending on industry, employer and area types.

Findings from this pilot will be shared with all providers receiving CDF throughout the academic year 2019 to 2020 and a full evaluation is expected to be published in late 2020.

Employer support package An employer support package will be developed and introduced throughout the 2019 to 2020 academic year to support employers to effectively plan and implement high quality placements. Following a competitive procurement process, we have appointed The Strategic Development Network (together with the Learning and Work Institute and Popcorn Media) to develop and introduce this package of support for employers. This will include producing a suite of guidance, tools and training materials, presentations and webinars that include significant route-specific elements, and “on demand” direct support.

Improving access to industry placements for all The evidence indicates that travelling to and from a placement is likely to be a barrier for some young people completing their industry placement. There are three main groups that provide the focus for our attention – those living in remote locations, those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)and those facing other cultural barriers to travel. We have considered the evidence and spoken to providers, LEPs and local authorities to identify good and imaginative practice which we will promote so that others can adopt or adapt these processes to suit their own circumstances. We are finalising our approach about how best to do this. In particular we wish to encourage the use of technology and joint co-operative approaches by local bodies.

Industry Placement Quality Assurance framework We are developing an industry placements Quality Assurance Framework which we will publish in spring 2020, to allow providers and employers to prepare for delivery from Sept 2020. The framework will outline the key roles and responsibilities for stakeholders involved in the quality assurance of T Level industry placements. It will also support providers, allowing them the discretion to make informed decisions about whether a student has demonstrated sufficient progress towards their learning objectives and successfully completed their placement. The framework will ensure that placements are

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delivered to a consistently high standard, enabling every T Level student to have a positive experience and add real value to the organisation that their placement is with.

Capacity and delivery funds The first year investment to providers of nearly £60 million for industry placements, including capacity and delivery funds, in the 2018 to 2019 academic year, has led to providers indicating they are on target to deliver T Level style placements to 10% of current eligible vocational students. The continuation of funds into the 2019 to 2020 academic year to further increase capacity to deliver industry placements could see the volume double, benefiting around 20% of eligible vocational students.

There are industry placement videos and written case studies, which display examples of the work with CDF-funded providers over the last academic year on the Association of Colleges website here.

National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) NAS offers employers advice and guidance and access to employer facing materials to help them understand how they can get involved and crucially the benefits of offering placements. To date, NAS have raised awareness of T Levels and industry placements with over 12,000 employers through direct engagement and have successfully referred 6,229 placement opportunities with 3,569 employers. Work continues to enhance and streamline the internal matching service for both providers and employers.

Karma Applied Science, said:

“The industry placements have not only been beneficial to the students but to us as a company. Karma were very keen to contribute to the community and play a part in bringing innovation and development to the Fylde Coast. The idea of supporting students to create their own company (40 Day Technologies) enabled us to support placements for a larger number of learners than we would have been able to within our day-to-day business. The students are now working full or part time in their own business. We are very proud to have supported them to this point and we will continue to support them as mentors and investors”

Evaluation of support for T Level industry placements The Institute of Employment Studies (IES) is currently carrying out an evaluation of the industry placement support that has been put in place for both post-16 providers and employers with the planning and implementation of industry placements during academic year 2018 to 2019. This will enable us to establish how well our interventions are working and whether there are any gaps in support that need to be filled before T Level rollout. It will also provide an understanding of the key challenges of implementing placements within different contexts and the efficacy of the support provided. The evaluation report

34

will be published in autumn 2019 and will inform further support that is in place for providers and employers under T Levels.

Industry placements Across Government Since May 2019, DfE has offered the first “T Level-style” industry placement opportunities for students taking technical/vocational courses in Business and Administration and Digital. We have also been working with other government departments to develop a central process to coordinate industry placements across the Civil Service and will launch a pilot in the 2019 to 2020 academic year to test this process. The pilot will be led by Civil Service Human Resources.

We will also continue to explore how other departments can actively support delivery of industry placements through their engagement with public bodies and private sector employers throughout the coming academic year. For example, we will consider how placements can be delivered in the armed forces, NHS Trusts and Mayoral Combined Authorities.

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Support for delivery

Support for teachers and leaders

T Level Professional Development

It is vitally important that we continue to support, prepare and upskill existing staff – teachers, leaders, and other staff involved in T Level delivery. The Education and Training Foundation are already delivering the first phase (up to March 2020) of the T Level Professional Development offer to support T Level delivery. This flexible offer will continue to be shaped around the needs of providers and their workforce alongside relevant regional, employer and curriculum needs.

The programme has five strands:

1. Ongoing professional development needs analysis: Building a clear understanding of professional development needs. This will be an ongoing process that will inform the development of the programme and learn from the excellent practice that already exists.

2. Understanding of T Levels: Ensuring that all staff understand T Levels and what the introduction of T Levels means for their job.

3. Teacher development programme: Focusing on pedagogy (core teaching skills and methods); practice (subject knowledge and subject specific teaching) and developing teachers’ capacity to embed English, maths and digital skills in technical teaching environments.

4. Knowledge hubs: Embedding learning from the teacher development programme through teacher development networks, focused on T Level pathways and regions, and with input from industry and professional bodies, in order to change teaching practice, including professional knowledge (industrial and employability understanding for teachers).

5. Organisational readiness: Focusing on professional development around leading and managing educational change, targeted at middle managers, Governors and governance professionals with a particular focus on teaching leadership and curriculum planning/timetabling.

https://www.et-foundation.co.uk/supporting/tlevels/

Within these broad elements there is a menu of options that different staff can draw from depending on their specific needs. Different providers will be able to access the elements they determine their staff needs and will be supported by ongoing needs analysis to help ensure the offer remains right for their organisation.

We launched a procurement for a second phase of TLPD in June and will announce the outcome once the process is complete.

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C o m m u ni c ati o n s a n d m ar k eti n g

C o m m u ni c ati o n s, m ar k eti n g a n d e n g a g e m e nt ar e criti c al p art of t h e i m pl e m e nt ati o n pl a n

f or T L e v el s. W e h a v e d e v el o p e d a m ar k eti n g c a m p ai g n s o t h at y o u n g p e o pl e, p ar e nt s,

t e a c h er s a n d e m pl o y er s u n d er st a n d w h at T L e v el s ar e a n d w h er e t h e y fit a m o n g ot h er

c h oi c e s aft er G C S E s. F oll o wi n g t h e l a u n c h of a n e w T L e v el br a n d i n M a y 2 0 1 9, t h e m ai n

c o m m u ni c ati o n s c a m p ai g n h a s b e e n l a u n c h e d al o n g si d e t hi s a cti o n pl a n t o f urt h er

i n cr e a s e a w ar e n e s s of T L e v el s, h el p e m pl o y er s t o s u p p ort t h eir d eli v er y a n d e n a bl e

y o u n g p e o pl e t o d e ci d e if t h e y ar e ri g ht f or t h e m. T h e c a m p ai g n i n cl u d e s b ot h n ati o n al

a n d l o c al c o m m u ni c ati o n s, f o c u si n g i n p arti c ul ar o n t h e fir st ar e a s t o off er T L e v el s.

C o m m u ni c ati o n s will r a m p u p e a c h y e ar a s m or e T L e v el s ar e i ntr o d u c e d a n d st u d e nt

n u m b er s i n cr e a s e. C o m m u ni c ati o n s a cti vit y, w hi c h i s b ei n g d eli v e r e d i n p art n er s hi p s wit h

T L e v el pr o vi d er s, i n cl u d e s:

• T V o n d e m a n d a d v erti si n g, o ut d o or p o st er s i n 2 0 2 0 pr o vi d er ar e a s a n d di git al

c h a n n el s, s u p p ort e d b y P R, s o ci al m e di a c o nt e nt, di git al m ar k eti n g a n d a n e w

w e b sit e .

• L o c al a w ar e n e s s r ai si n g a n d r e cr uit m e nt b y 2 0 2 0 pr o vi d er s u si n g c a m p ai g n

t o ol kit s a n d br a n d e d m ar k eti n g m at eri al s.

• E m pl o y er e n g a g e m e nt b y t h e E S F A t o pr o m ot e i n d u str y pl a c e m e nt s .

• A s c h o ol s e n g a g e m e nt str at e g y t o r ai s e a w ar e n e s s a m o n g t e a c h er s a n d c ar e er s

a d vi s er s.

T h e eff e cti v e n e s s of t h e c o m m u ni c ati o n s str at e g y will b e a s s e s s e d t hr o u g h a

c o m pr e h e n si v e e v al u ati o n str at e g y.

M or e wi d el y, w or k i s c o nti n ui n g t o c o n si d er h o w w e c a n s u p p ort y o u n g p e o pl e t o m a k e

i nf or m e d c h oi c e s aft er G C S E s a n d h o w T L e v el s ar e p o siti o n e d al o n g si d e

a p pr e nti c e s hi p s, t h e T L e v el Tr a n siti o n Pr o gr a m m e, t h e r e vi e w of q u alifi c ati o n s at l e v el 3

a n d b el o w, a n d at t h e hi g h er t e c h ni c al l e v el (l e v el 4 a n d 5) a n d t h e r e vi e w of p o st -1 8

e d u c ati o n a n d f u n di n g. T h e s e wi d er p oli ci e s will h a v e a n i m p a ct o n u n d er st a n di n g a n d

d e m a n d f or T L e v el s a n d will i nfl u e n c e t h e p er c e pti o n s of t e c h ni c al e d u c ati o n a s a w h ol e.

T h e T L e v el s S e r vi c e

W e h a v e l a u n c h e d a T L e v el s w e b sit e t o s u p p ort t h e D e p art m e nt’ s m ai n m ar k eti n g

c a m p ai g n. T hi s pr o vi d e s i nf or m ati o n, g ui d a n c e, a n d a t o ol t o s e ar c h f or T L e v el s t h at will

b e off er e d fr o m S e pt e m b er 2 0 2 0 a n d i s a v ail a bl e h er e : tl e v el s.g o v. u k . W e ar e c o n d u cti n g

f urt h er r e s e ar c h wit h st a k e h ol d er s t o d et er mi n e n e e d s a n d pri oriti e s f or o n g oi n g

d e v el o p m e nt of t h e sit e, i n cl u di n g e m pl o y er -f o c u se d r e s o ur c e s, a n d li n k s t o wi d er E S F A

r e s o ur c e s.

W e ar e al s o c o n si d eri n g s er vi c e s t o s u p p ort pr o vi d er a n d e m pl o y er e n g a g e m e nt o n T

L e v el i n d u str y pl a c e m e nt s, wit h t h e p ot e nti al t o b uil d o n a n e xi sti n g m at c hi n g t o ol u s e d

i nt er n all y b y N A S a c c o u nt m a n a g er s.

3 7

Work to develop our detailed design for a results and certification service began in July 2019. This service will support the tracking and aggregation of data on the progress of students undertaking T Levels, and the issuing of results, statements of attainment and certificates. We expect the first iteration of the service to be available ahead of the launch of the first wave of T Levels in September 2020.

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Wider qualification reform programmes

Qualifications review The review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 and below aims to simplify the current qualifications landscape. We want all qualifications that continue to receive public funding to meet four key principles: being high quality; having a distinct purpose, being truly necessary and supporting progression to further education or skilled employment. The first stage consultation5 focused on these principles, and set out the scope and broad process that the review will follow. It was launched on 19 March 2019 and closed on 10 June 2019.

It set out proposals for T Levels and A levels to become the qualifications of choice for post-16 students wishing to undertake a classroom-based programme of study. The consultation proposed that approval for funding is withdrawn for qualifications that overlap with A levels and T Levels, and asks questions about the rationale for alternative qualifications to be offered alongside those qualifications.

The first-stage consultation also confirmed our intent to withdraw funding approval from older, pre-existing qualifications where newer versions have been redeveloped to meet the performance tables criteria, and where both versions are on offer simultaneously from 1 August 2020. The full list of 163 pre-existing qualifications6 from which funding approval is being withdrawn was published on 22 July 2019.

On 22 July 2019, we confirmed the implementation of a moratorium[1] on new qualifications being approved to receive public funding. The moratorium will start on 1 September 2020, so if AOs want to submit a qualification for approval it must be published in Ofqual’s Register of Regulated Qualifications on or before 31 August 2020. This will prevent new qualifications adding to the complexity within the system and will stabilise the offer for providers whilst the review continues.

The second-stage consultation, due to be published in spring 2020, will build on the responses to the first and outline detailed proposals for change. These will include proposed changes to the criteria that qualifications must meet to receive funding and supporting regulatory changes. We will continue to work closely with Ofqual and the Institute in the development of this work.

5 https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/review-of-post-16-qualifications-at-level-3-and-below-in-england 6 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualifications-getting-approval-for-funding [1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualifications-getting-approval-for-funding

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Higher technical education We want T Level students to have first-rate choices open to them when they complete their programme. That includes good jobs and apprenticeships, but also high-quality classroom based higher technical education.

That’s why, on 8 July, the government launched a consultation on how to improve and grow higher technical education in England. It set out a vision for higher technical education as a prestigious choice that delivers the skills employers need, encourages more students to continue studying after A levels or T levels and attracts workers of all ages looking to upskill and retrain.

The proposals in the consultation are the next step in the government’s programme to reform technical education. They aim to provide high-quality progression routes for students achieving T Levels and build on the investment in apprenticeships as part of a modern Industrial Strategy to improve productivity and help people progress in their work and lives.

The starting point for the proposed reforms to higher technical education is to raise its prestige and strengthen its value to employers by putting their needs and quality first. Improving quality now – to demonstrate the value of higher technical qualifications – will lead to increased uptake of higher technical education in the future.

To do this we are proposing a new system to make it clearer which higher technical qualifications provide the skills that employers want. This will be delivered through the Institute signalling which qualifications deliver the knowledge, skills, and behaviours set out in the Institutes Occupational Standards. This will help qualifications at this level command the confidence of students and employers alike.

Alongside this we propose working with the Office for Students to ensure the quality of providers, so there is more high-quality provision delivered across higher and further education, including through our flagship employer-led National Colleges and Institutes of Technology.

Finally, we want to make higher technical education a positive and more popular choice by raising awareness and understanding of the best higher technical education in colleges and universities, and among potential students and employers.

These reforms share a common goal with our reforms across technical education – to raise quality by putting employers at its heart. And they also share a common framework – employer-led occupational standards. This common framework will help students progress more easily from taught programmes to apprenticeships and vice versa, as well as enabling employers to train different staff towards the same endpoint using apprenticeships or taught courses, depending on what’s right for them.

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These reforms will take time to deliver, but we want the first Institute-approved higher technical qualifications to be available to be taught from 2022, when the first T Level students will complete their courses.

The higher technical education consultation closed on 29 September 2019. We are grateful to everyone who submitted a response online or gave us the benefit of their views and insights at our consultation events around the country. We are considering these views carefully and will respond in early 2020.

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Forward look calendar

Date Activities

Wave one – 2020 T Level delivery Dec 2019 2020 providers notified of their Specialist Equipment

Allocation

Dec 2019 AOs submit final draft of the 2020 qualifications to the Institute

Feb 2020 Approval of qualifications by the Institute for the first three 2020 T Levels

March 2020 AOs circulate qualification material to 2020 providers

March 2020 Phase 2 of the T Level Professional Development offer begins

May 2020 Publish guidance on industry placements August 2020 First provider T Level funding payments made for 2020

delivery

Sept 2020 Deliver all elements of the T Level Service

Sept 2020 2020 provider capital projects completed

Sept 2020 Teaching of wave one T Levels

Wave two - 2021 T Level delivery

Oct 2019 Contracts awarded for the 2021 T Levels

May 2020 Publish guidance on industry placements

Aug 2020 Approval of qualifications by the Institute for the 2021 T Levels

Sept 2021 Teaching of wave two T Levels

Wave three - 2022 T Level delivery

Jan 2020 Launch of Expression of Interest for providers to deliver T Levels from 2022

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Annex A – grading examples

Occupational Specialism Grade

Cor

e C

ompo

nent

Gra

de

Distinction Merit Pass

A* Distinction* Distinction Distinction

A Distinction Distinction Merit

B Distinction Merit Merit

C Merit Merit Pass

D Merit Pass Pass

E Pass Pass Pass

Overall T Level Grade

To ensure fairness, the table would look different for different T Levels to reflect differences in the size of the Core Component and Occupational specialisms. For example:

Core 50%/Occupational Core 40%/Occupational Core 30%/Occupational Specialism(s) 50% Specialism(s) 60% Specialism(s) 70%

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Annex B – sample certificates

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© Crown copyright 2019

This publication (not including logos) is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

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Reference: DfE-00196-2019

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