31 March 2022 - T Level Newsletter

This week's newsletter includes updates on:

• Industry placements policy update
• Registration for new T Level providers in 2024
• Recruitment Progress Pulse Survey collection
• T Level Implementation Plan For 2022 Providers
• Reminder To Please Complete T Level Professional Development Questionnaire
• Education and Training Foundation Update
• Awarding Organisations Updates

Industry placements policy update

Below is an update on the work the department is doing to support the scale up of industry placements as T Levels continue to roll out. We are:

• Increasing the number of placements delivered across the public sector by directly influencing other Government departments, NHS trusts and local authorities to offer placements at scale. This includes influencing key stakeholders at the highest levels of government and across the public sector to support the delivery of placements, as well as working closely with key delivery partners, such as Civil Service Human Resources, the Local Government Association and Health Education England to identify solutions to overcome the key challenges to the delivery of placements across the public sector.
• Influencing Government’s major suppliers to deliver placements by embedding placement requirements in procurements and contracts.
• Exploring options to contribute towards employer costs once the current employer incentive fund ends in July.
• Continuing to engage directly with employers, of all sizes and across all sectors, to provide a strong pipeline of employers. This includes engagement with more SMEs to help widen access to placements in rural and coastal areas.
• Providing 1-2-1 Skills Development Manager support for a large, flexible caseload of employers, focusing on helping them to understand how T Levels can benefit their business and fit into their wider talent development programmes.
• Providing dedicated hands-on support, guidance, and advice to employers to help build their confidence and capability to deliver placements, and enabling employers to search for T Level providers, via the T Levels and industry placement support for employers
• Exploring what further digital solutions could be put in place to better facilitate links between employers and providers.
• Continuing to grow and develop the T Level ambassador network to enable employers to engage and influence others in their industries to offer placements.
• Running national communications campaigns and further developing our communications materials to continue to raise the profile of T Levels and placements to an employer audience.
• Working closely with providers and employers to identify potential barriers and solutions to the delivery of placements for each of the T Levels. Please contact the industry placements policy team to let them know about any barriers to the delivery of placements that you are particularly concerned about, as well as any suggestions on how to overcome them. The team can be contacted at: placements@education.gov.uk

Registration for new T Level providers in 2024

We have now opened the 2024 registration portal so that providers not currently delivering T Levels can register their intention to do so from the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

T Level approved providers that are already delivering T Levels or are planning to deliver T Levels from 2023 do not need to register again. We will collect 2024 to 2025 academic year delivery plans from these providers in the

T Level Data Collection scheduled to go out in late May 2022

Recruitment Progress Pulse Survey collection

The 2022 academic year Recruitment Progress survey is open, the deadline to complete is the 1 April.

Please ensure you are registered with DfE sign-in and refer to the guidance document when completing the survey.

T Level Implementation Plan For 2022 Providers

The deadline for the next implementation plan is 13 May 2022. Only providers starting delivery in September 2022 need to complete these. This is the final year of preparation, so this is the last plan that you are required to complete and submit to us. The purpose of the plan is to tell us about your T Level implementation planning so that we can ensure that you are fully ready to deliver T Levels from the 2022 to 2023 academic year. The guidance and template can be found on the on our implementation and planning webpage. Once complete, please send your plan to TLDC.queries@education.gov.uk copying in your local ESFA (or AoC for schools) contact.

Reminder To Please Complete T Level Professional Development Questionnaire

The final wave of fieldwork for the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) Evaluation is ongoing. Senior Leaders and those leading on the delivery of each T Level Route in providers that started delivery in September 2021 should receive an email from Adrianna Kawecka-Billam, a researcher in DfE, inviting them to complete a survey on T level preparation. The plan is now to close the survey at the end of Friday 15th April so please do respond before then.

It should take around 20 minutes to complete, and the data will feed into the wider evaluation of T Level Professional Development (TLPD) to inform and help improve the support on offer. We really appreciate your support during this busy time.

If you have any questions about it, please get in touch with Adrianna, DfE Project Manager via Adrianna.kawecka-billam@eduction.gov.uk

Education and Training Foundation Update

Learn from others on their T Level journey

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is set to host a series of Learning From events during the summer term as part of its T Level Professional Development offer.  

These events are an opportunity for current and future T Level providers to hear about the experiences of those already on their T Level journey and to gain valuable insights from employers. 

A range of different topics will be discussed including curriculum modelling, assessment and effective industry placements. There will also be time for questions. 

Events will be themed by provider with specific sessions aimed at schools with sixth forms, sixth form colleges, and general further education colleges. 

The events take place on 20, 28 and 30 June, and 5 July. To find out more, please visit the ETF’s Professional Development Platform. 

Awarding Organisations Updates

Highfield

Approved to deliver the T Level in Catering from September 2023?

Then Highfield would love to speak to you about how you think you’d be able to support the development of such an important qualification in the future of the catering sector. 

By joining Highfield in the qualification development phase, you’ll be an integral part of their Provider Forum. As a member of the forum, you’ll be required to offer specialist advice, ensuring that the qualification is developed in line with current teaching practice and industry standards, and the skills required in the sector. 

To register your interest, please email at tlevels@highfield.co.uk or visit for more information.

NCFE

Build T Level transition programmes that take your students to the next level

NCFE is pleased to share its offer to support providers with the curriculum planning of their T Level transition programmes.

NCFE T Level transitions offer

Pearson

Pearson’s March E-Bulletin was published and included the following: 

• November series results and ResultsPlus
• Training events
• Entries for the Summer Series
• Provider Approval and Provider Monitoring

Read the March E-Bulletin 

City & Guilds update

City & Guilds have recently published their Teaching, Learning and Assessment guide, available on their website, within the Teaching accordion. The guide is aimed at providers delivering the Technical Qualifications (TQs) in Onsite Construction and Building Services Engineering and for those planning to teach any of their T Level TQs in Engineering and Manufacturing, Management and Administration from September 2022.

The guide provides practical tips to support the delivery of T Levels and the core components of the TQs. It also outlines the key design principles of the assessment with case studies.