EngineeringUK warns T Levels off public radar

Surveys contained in a new report by EngineeringUK reveal that barely more than one in three young people polled had even heard of the two year applied courses for post-GCSE students.

Among 14 to 16 year olds, on the verge of eligibility, and 16-18 year olds who would qualify for inclusion, just 35% were aware of T Levels’ existence. Among 11-14 year olds the percentage falls to 30%.

Worryingly, says the report Anyone for T? Awareness of T Levels in England, parents are much less aware than their children: Just 27% surveyed had heard of T Levels and only 18% of parents claimed to know ‘a lot/a fair amount’ about them.

Chief executive of EngineeringUK which commissioned the report, Hilary Leevers, said: “T Levels offer young people a fantastic route into highly rewarding engineering, technology and technician careers, and they also hold huge potential to help with tackling the skilled engineering workforce shortage.

“However, it’s clear that a great deal more needs to be done to enhance awareness and understanding.”

T Levels were launched in 2017 in England by the then UK prime minister Theresa May and Chancellor Philip Hammond, after recommendations in the earlier Sainsbury report for an A Level standard technical qualification.

The new qualifications were intended to provide more opportunity for students seeking more practical education linked to industry and other occupations.

They were also intended to provide better pre-employment training for recruits to STEM careers, including engineering, and to help tackle the annual shortfall in personnel that has dogged industry for several years.

EngineeringUK reported that, among employees there are much higher levels of awareness of T Levels with nearly three in four (72%) having heard of T levels.

However, just two in seven said they properly understood what T Levels and understand involved, while a third of those surveyed said this was an obstacle to providing the placements that are a feature of the qualifications. There is a current target of achieving 43,500 industry placements by 2024/25.

What they say about T Levels

The education provider:

Meryl Cotton, T Level Manager at Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group: “T Levels offer a great new option for students who enjoy classroom learning but also want to gain vital industry experience. Our students out on industry placement this week are with small and large local employers who are investing in the future talent their sector needs.”

The student:

T level student Jasmine Espley, on her first industry placement at AEON : “I’m fascinated by the fact engineering is all around us and am really enjoying the T Level I started this term. The industry placement means I’ll have a lot of work experience by the end of the course and I get to learn about aerospace engineering by working in a cool, modern lab.”

The placement provider:

Julie Twigg, Learning and Development Manager, Portmeirion Group: "At our Portmeirion site in Stoke, we embraced the opportunity to offer T Level placements and subsequently have two engineering students on their first placement this week.

“With an aging workforce, we are wanting to support our next generation and help bring in young talent within the ceramic industry, showcasing the engineering careers we have within the group and the engineering T Levels are helping boost the skills we need."

For more about EngineeringUK’s report click here.