T Level Action Plan 2023/24

We are pleased to let you know we have published the 2023/24 T Level Action Plan, outlining developments and next steps for T Levels and the T Level Foundation Year.  It also shows how we will continue to improve access to T Levels, and boost their quality and uptake. The plan outlines the support available to students, providers and employers as we move into our fourth year of delivery. 

T Levels are fast establishing themselves as a route to success for young people. Over 16,000 students started a T Level in the 2023/24 academic year; almost as many as in the first three cohorts combined.  They are proving their value to employers as a future skills pipeline for their business - almost a third of the first cohort of T Level students who completed their course and progressed into employment and apprenticeships, were employed by their industry placement organisation. 

Since 2020 over 16,000 students have started on a T Level Foundation Year (TLFY) programme - providing a high-quality route onto T Levels for students who would benefit from the programme before they start their T Level. 

We continue to act on feedback to ensure that T Levels and the TLFY offer a great learning experience for young people, and to support providers in delivering a high-quality offer as we continue to grow the programme. 

Alongside the 2023/24 Action Plan we have published an analytical annex with the latest student data. We have also published the latest Technical Education Learner Survey which provides early insight into the destinations of the first cohort of T Level students (from a survey of T Level completers at 9-10 months post course): 

• Almost all T Level completers were in education or employment 9-10 months after their course – 44% undertaking a university degree, 40% in paid work, 13% on an apprenticeship, 5% other type of qualification. Only 7% were not in education, employment or training (NEET) which is half the overall NEET rate for 18–24-year-olds (14.5%). [Learners could report more than one destination] 
• 75% progressed into education or employment in their general T Level field, with 59% in their occupational specialism. 
• The industry placement and technical knowledge were most commonly reported as the most important elements in preparing students for their current study (each selected by 77% of learners). 
• 30% of learners in paid work or an apprenticeship who undertook a T Level industry placement were working for their industry placement organisation. 
• 82% agreed that their T Level had allowed them to progress to what they wanted to do.