Construction T Level Given Green Light Despite Pandemic

THE DEPARTMENT for Education has confirmed that T Levels will go ahead this September despite the Covid-19 pandemic.

The first three T Levels to go ahead include a T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction.

T Levels involve substantial periods of time spent on business placement for students and concerns had been raised about whether the placements would be possible in the light of Covid-19.

However, the Government says it remains fully committed to continuing with the delivery of both T Levels and the T Level Transition Programme in 2020 and 2021 as planned. It says it is determined that students “will not lose out on opportunities” and that “it is vital for the economy that we have a pipeline of skilled young people to help the economy recover”

T Level Concerns

The Government says it has the support T Level providers to continue with delivery even though many have “concerns”.

The Government statement reads:

We understand that at the moment offering industry placements for young people cannot be a priority for most companies as they focus on doing what they can to protect their business and their workforce. Even after the crisis has eased it will remain challenging for companies to offer industry placements. The industry placement is however an absolutely core part of a T Level and we are determined to work with providers and with business to continue to deliver these as part of the T Level programme.

The T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction is designed to open up specialist careers in Buildings Services Engineering, Civil Engineering, Hazardous Materials, and Surveying and Design for Construction and the Built Environment.

A specialist T Level qualification in Roofing is planned to be introduced by 2023.

T Levels will be the technical equivalent to A Levels, and involve 80 per cent classroom-based learning, and 20 per cent on-the-job learning through industry placements.

Jennifer Coupland, Chief Executive of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education which will oversee the delivery of the new T Level programmes, said: “Covid-19 is of course a major consideration, but that must not stop our preparations for the future of high-quality technical education. The Institute will do everything in our power to ensure T Levels deliver for employers and students”.