Shipley College | What's Great About T Levels?

Shipley College Course Photos Sept 2022 Inspect

T LEVELS 16-19

T Levels are a 2-year qualification, that have been designed alongside employers to help fill skills gaps in the UK.

They are equivalent to 3 A-levels, but rather than selecting three A-Level subjects, with T Levels you just pick one - for the sector or career you want to go into.

As well as learning up-to-date skills in that area, all T Levels come with a work placement of at least 45 days, and more on some courses.

This means students get to work in an organisation in the sector of their choice, and employers get to know bright students who want to go into their sector - benefitting students and employers.

"T LEVELS AREN'T LIKE BEING IN THE INDUSTRY - YOU ARE IN THE INDUSTRY!"

Our classrooms feel just like you’re on placement - students tell us that they feel independent, and are keen to explore their interests within the computing sector. For many of our students this is their stepping stone into the workplace.”

Oliver, T Level Programming tutor

T LEVEL HIGHLIGHTS

Although you pick one T Level course based on the career you would like to pursue, they are worth the same as 3 A-Levels in terms of UCAS points.

For example - a 'Merit' grade in a fully completed T Level is worth 120 UCAS points. At A-Level, one B grade is worth 40 UCAS points, so BBB at A Level is also worth 120 UCAS points. A Distinction grade for a full T Level is worth 144 UCAS points - the same as three 'A' grades in A Levels, and so on.

This is important if you want the option of using the points to go to University, which many T Level students do.

T Levels offer students the opportunity to choose a career and gain hands-on experience by working in a company that operates in their chosen industry. Each T Level program includes an extensive work placement that lasts for at least 45 days or 315 hours, but some courses may require more. For example, the Education & Childcare T Level involves up to 750 hours of placement.

The work placement provides students with valuable experience in the workplace, while employers get an early glimpse of enthusiastic young individuals who are interested in working in their industry. As a result, more and more local employers are using T Level placements as a recruitment tool, which is a win-win situation for everyone. This could also lead to the employer offering a permanent role to their T Level students at the end of the placement.

For comparison, on an Apprenticeship, most time is spent working for the employer who offered the apprenticeship - so usually four days a week, every week, with the employer and one day a week in college.

With T Levels, this is the other way around - T Level students spend about 80% of their course learning in college, gaining the skills that employers say they need.

The other 20% of the course is the work placement with an employer, where they put these skills into action. This can take many different formats depending on the course and the employer, but will often be one or two days a week, for certain periods of the year.

With A-Levels you select 3 (or 4) separate subjects - for example, you might select English Literature, Law and Geography, or Maths, Physics and Economics.

With T Levels you select one subject area, which is in the career you want to aim to get into - examples being 'Data Analyst' , 'Education & Childcare' or 'Media, Broadcast & Production'

What's So Great About T Levels...?

BROWSE OUR RANGE OF T LEVELS.

View our T Levels HERE