T (Level) Total

The lowdown on T Levels

Hello!

Thank you for joining me, I’m so glad you’re here.

Look at me go, I have a header! I’m aware that the look of this newsletter isn’t quite there yet, so I wanted to add a little something to it. Hopefully it looks a little nicer!

This week, I’m trying something different - guest writers! I have to admit, T Levels and what that means for BTECs is an area that I couldn’t speak confidently about, and so I brought together two amazing experts to help us understand what’s going on.

I always set out to write content that would benefit all the pockets of subscribers - whether you’re a recruiter, or a careers specialist, or work at a university or college, I hope to be able to write so that everyone comes away with something new. With today’s topic, however, I think those of us in the corporate world really don’t know enough about T Levels so this one is a little skewed that way.

It’s a bit of a longer newsletter this time as there was a lot to discuss. You’ll find the links as normal at the bottom so do stay until the end!

I couldn’t get into T Levels without first exploring what’s going on with BTECs - those often misunderstood “not A Levels” qualifications. For that, I turned to my friend Erika, who used to reside in the world of teaching (teaching a mixture of A Level and applied subjects in sixth forms) but has moved over to the dark side of non-teaching recently.

Here is what I asked her:

What is happening with BTECs? Are they stopping completely?

Essentially, they’re being phased out in an attempt by the Department for Education to ‘streamline further education’. There are 130 BTEC subjects that are being scrapped as they overlap with T-level offerings and the funding for these will be withdrawn within 16-19 provision in August 2024. Another 85 will be defunded in August 2025. The vast majority of BTECs will not be funded. 

Are students still able to study BTECs? 

Currently, yes, but they are being phased out. Students who are already enrolled on them will be able to complete them. In the years to come, they will not be available. 

What are the benefits of BTECs for students, and for employers? 

BTECs are quite specific in their focus, but they do offer a lot of transferable skills and tend to be more vocational.

The workload is spread across the course through Units that are assessed throughout, rather than culminating in lots of summative assessments at the very end of the courses like a lot of A-levels do.

The common misconception is that BTECs are easier, or that they are somehow watered down, but the fact is that students studying BTECs have to maintain their motivation and persevere throughout the whole course. They will be assessed consistently throughout the course and those assessments will count towards their final grade. Of course, A-level students are also assessed throughout (usually with key assessments to track their progress), but the only results that count towards those final grades are the ones from the summative assessments at the end of the courses. 

BTECs require a lot of the soft skills that employers are after, including time management, research skills, and more practical elements too. These will vary depending on the course, but for students who are looking to go straight into the world of work in a specific sector or are looking to undertake more vocational training in a range of fields (such as childcare, midwifery, nursing, engineering, etc.), these skills are often more useful to them than the ability to pass exams. The examples I just gave are the tip of the iceberg, but I wanted to draw attention to them as all of these are careers that are in high demand. 

I must stress that both A-level and Applied subjects have their merits and I have personally had the privilege of teaching some fantastic students from both sides of this particular fence. I have seen A-level students complete their studies and go into the world of work, and I have seen BTEC students obtain places at university and vice versa. The important thing is self-reflection, perseverance and the ability to play to one’s strengths.

Moving onto T Levels, I wanted to speak with someone who really knew their stuff, and early careers buddy Helen from Hays is a real expert in this. She’s been in early careers roles for over 10 years, and has worked at all levels within that spectrum, from Kickstarters all the way through to doctorate students.

What are T Levels?

T (Technical) Levels are two-year qualifications for 16-19 year olds who have completed their GCSEs. The courses provide a pathway for students to develop practical and technical skills, preparing them for skilled employment, higher education or apprenticeships. They are an alternative to A levels, apprenticeships and other 16 to 19 courses, and focus on vocational skills.

Key points about T Levels:

1.   Each T Level is equivalent in size to three A levels. They focus on vocational skills, allowing students to gain practical knowledge relevant to their chosen field.

2.   T Levels include a 45-day industry placement, where students gain valuable experience in the workplace. Employers benefit by getting early exposure to potential talent.

3.   Structure: Two year course, where students spend 80% of their time in the classroom, acquiring essential skills. The remaining 20% involves a meaningful industry placement, where they apply these skills in real-world settings.

4.   Career Advancement: T Levels aim to give a head start toward desired career paths. Whether it’s entering the workforce, pursuing higher education, or opting for apprenticeships, T Levels provide a solid foundation.

In summary, T Levels offer a practical and comprehensive educational experience, bridging the gap between academic learning and practical application.

What are the benefits of T Levels for students?

T Levels offer several benefits to students:

1.   Practical Skills: T Levels focus on practical, hands-on learning. Students gain real-world skills that are directly applicable to their chosen industry or field.

2.   Industry Placement: The 45-day industry placement provides students with valuable work experience, allowing them to apply what they’ve learned in a professional setting, enhancing their employability.

3.   Equivalent to A Levels: They are an alternative pathway for students who prefer vocational education over purely academic routes, and are equivalent to three A levels.

4.   Career Readiness: T Levels prepare students for skilled employment. Whether they choose to enter the workforce or pursue further education, T Levels equip them with relevant skills and knowledge.

5.   Clear Progression Routes: T Levels create clear pathways to higher education or apprenticeships. Students can seamlessly transition to the next stage of their educational journey.

In summary, T Levels bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical application, empowering students for successful futures.

What are the benefits of T Levels for employers? 

T Levels offer several benefits to employers:

1. Talent Pipelining/Early Exposure to Talent: By providing students an industry placement, employers get early exposure to potential talent. They can assess students’ skills, work ethic, and suitability for their organisation.

2. Employability/Workforce Readiness: T Levels prepare students with practical skills relevant to specific industries. Employers benefit from hiring individuals who are job-ready and can contribute immediately.

3. Tailored Skills: T Levels align with industry needs. Students learn skills that directly apply to the sector, reducing the gap between education and workplace requirements.

4. Collaboration Opportunities: Employers can collaborate with educational institutions to shape the T Level curricula, ensuring that graduating students meet industry standards.

5. Apprenticeship Pathways: T Levels serve as a pipeline for apprenticeships. Employers can identify promising students during placements and offer apprenticeship opportunities.

In summary, T Levels foster a strong employer-student partnership, creating a win-win situation for both parties

What kind of subjects do they come in?

The range of T Levels are being added to all the time, and they cover a diverse range of subjects, they are designed to prepare students for work, further training, or higher education, offering clear pathways to success.

T Level subjects available in England:

1. Agriculture, Environmental, and Animal Care:

   • Agriculture, Land Management, and Production

   • Animal Care and Management (available from September 2024 onwards)

2. Business and Administration:

   • Management and Administration

3. Catering and Hospitality:

   • Catering (available from September 2024 onwards)

4. Construction:

   • Building Services Engineering for Construction

   • Design, Surveying, and Planning for Construction

   • Onsite Construction

5. Creative and Design:

   • Craft and Design (available from September 2024 onwards)

   • Media, Broadcast, and Production (available from September 2024 onwards)

6. Digital:

   • Digital Business Services

   • Digital Production, Design, and Development

   • Digital Support Services

7. Education and Early Years:

   • Education and Early Years

8. Engineering and Manufacturing:

   • Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing

   • Maintenance, Installation, and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing

   • Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing, and Control

9. Health and Science:

   • Health

   • Healthcare Science

   • Science

10. Legal, Finance, and Accounting:

    • Accounting

    • Finance

    • Legal Services

11. Sales, Marketing, and Procurement:

    • Marketing (available from September 2024 onwards)

Do students get paid for the time they work in organisations as part of their course?

T Level students will gain valuable work experience through the industry placement component, but whether they receive payment during this time depends on several factors:

1. Industry placements can be either paid or unpaid, depending on the employer’s policy and the specific arrangement.

2. Employer Policies: Employers may choose to pay students. This can vary based on the industry, location, and company size.

3. Learning Experience: The purpose of the industry placement is to provide students with hands-on experience related to their T Level subject. It allows them to apply classroom learning in a real-world context and should not be viewed as a route to financial reward.

4. Career Advancement: Students benefit from the experience of the workplace, networking opportunities, and practical skills gained during the placement. These experiences enhance their employability and contribute to their overall career development.

In summary, while some students may receive payment during their T Level industry placement, the focus should be on the learning experience and skill development. Employers play a crucial role in shaping students’ professional journeys through these placements.

What advice would you give to organisations that want to start a T Level programme? 

Think carefully about the outcomes you want to achieve, whether you have the long-term resources and commitment to support students, and that it aligns with your overall strategy so that your senior stakeholders will be able to support you and the team with the time and resources to deliver a successful programme. If your sole intention is to meet Social Value or CSR initiatives then you may lose stakeholder engagement when priorities change.

Is your workplace, and the work itself suitable for the students, and do you have the people and environment that will support the delivery of the education elements you need to support? If you have a target-driven, hybrid workforce that operates out of flexible workspaces then this may be a challenge.

Here are some additional things to consider:

1. Understand the T Level Framework:

   • Including the subjects available and the industry-specific focus, and how they align with your business.

   • Know the duration, and how the industry placement works.

2. Work with with schools, colleges, and training providers

   • Collaborate on curriculum development, industry placements, and student support. They can advise you on work works well and what really won’t work.

3. Plan, plan and plan again for the Industry Placements:

   • Design a resilient program aligned to the subject.

   • Work with the college to determine the duration, expectations, and learning outcomes for students during placements. They may suggest block release, days and specific weeks to avoid.

4. Invest in Resources and Facilities:

   • Ensure your company has the necessary resources, equipment, and facilities to support T Level delivery. Do you have laptops, IT access and everything else that a new starter would need?

5. Train Line Managers:

   • Provide training for line managers, and support staff involved in T Level delivery. This could include safeguarding, prevent and mental health first aid training.

6. Monitor Student Progress and Outcomes:

   • Regularly assess student progress, engagement, and achievement.

   • Use data to improve the training program effectiveness and address any challenges.

7. Celebrate Success Stories:

   • Showcase success stories of T Level students who have excelled in their placement, and their next steps.

   • Highlight the impact of T Levels on employability and skill development, addressing the skills gap, and providing a talent pipeline that supports an inclusive approach.

What are things to be mindful of when looking into hiring T Level students?  

In addition to ensuring that your business is aligned and fully supportive for long term support of T Level students, and understanding the reach and impact of enabling routes in to employment for a wide range of students, there will be challenges.

Not all students, or educational organisations are the same. If your experience with one was amazing, it may not be the same the next time. This is why it is imperative that you have clear objectives and focus on the outcomes you want to achieve.

Safeguarding, DBS checks, and workplace safety challenges should be considered.

Will your line managers be comfortable to go through all the checks, and are they afforded the time to undergo regular additional training?

Pastoral care is key to the success of any student engagement, so it is critical to identify and train the correct managers and team leaders. It may be helpful to build to network of buddies and mentors using your existing apprentices and emerging talent teams.

Any final thoughts from either of you?

Erika: I’m not anti-T-level by any stretch. Anything that extends the choices available to students is a good thing. My concern is that many young people don’t know what they want to do with the rest of their lives. Very few adults know that. We aren’t living in a world where it’s the norm for  people to stay in one job from the time they leave school to the time that they retire. For students who know exactly what they want to do (and there are some!)

T-levels are a great choice. For other students who are still working that out, taking a combination of subjects that they enjoy and will stick with gives them more options moving forward. Many students are understandably wary of painting themselves into a corner.

Helen: Erika’s points are all ones that I would echo. Understanding what is on offer is just as important as knowing the routes to access them. The more research, the better, but the rapid change of the work landscape means that jobs exist now that hadn’t been thought of just a few years ago, so focusing on transferable skills, and adaptability is key.

Employers need to think differently - what key attributes are needed, and what does good look like? That may be attitude, aptitude and agility.

A massive thank you to both Erika and Helen for sharing their wisdom with us! While it’s a real shame that the BTEC options are being taken away, I do hope that more employers out there feel brave enough to embrace T Levels - after all, without us employers, they simply wouldn’t be able to run.

Links

Over on LinkedIn, Rebecca Fielding has been back with her highly accurate Truth Bombs, this time around the subject of “early careers” not just being for young people. It’s something I think we have to look into when on the employer side - where do you draw the line as to who is eligible for your programmes? I always did it so that someone with less than three years’ working experience in something could join, and we had great success with, for example, a return to work mum with a psychology degree joining a data apprenticeship to retrain. [LinkedIn]

This feeds into a post from Bruce Daisley talking about what people in different age categories value in their working life. Development and learning isn’t that much loser in older generations than it is in gen z - even more reason for there to be more career change options, and development programmes for those older than the traditional early career employee. [LinkedIn]

Gen z apparently are secretly plotting to “girlify” their managers. I can honestly say no gen z colleague I’ve managed has tried this with me before. [TikTok]

Are gen z difficult to work with, or are older people difficult to work for?? [Instagram]

Influencer marketing is growing to new areas - the UK government are apparently using them to deter migrants. [Euro News]

Speaking of Tories being “down with the kids”, here is MP Dehenna Davison not quick getting the “I’m ___, of course I ___” meme… (The comments are also worth a read.) [TikTok]

I LOVE the conversation Mary Scott, a university recruitment consultant over in the US, has been building around whether hiring should be done on campus or not. I think it’s not so common in the UK but in other countries, employers will visit campus and hold the interviews there. There are pros and cons - pros being that the students seem to love it, but the cons are that you still need to honour organic applicants from your job advert. [LinkedIn]

Gen z employees give their corporate lingo “icks”. [TikTok]

And finally, a lady who would like to bring back National Service, but within hospitality. Not the worst idea I’ve heard. [TikTok]

That was a LONG one today so if you’ve made it this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Back to the normal format next week, where the theme will be assessments within recruitment.

Until next week,

Charlotte