Forget the gloom, T Levels are turning a corner

Baker Dearing and the University Technical College network are really pleased more students have completed their T Levels this year, and that the pass rate has surpassed 90 per cent.

This shows how T Levels, which rely on solid employer partnerships and a high bar for technical provision, have matured and are working well across the school and college system.

Industry placements are giving young people the experience of the workplace that helps them move seamlessly and confidently into apprenticeships and careers.

The course content and examinations for T Levels, while exacting, means students have the skills that industry needs and are prepared for the high expectations of work.

All of which means more students can progress onto fantastic apprenticeship and university destinations. Like Jenson Burrows from UTC South Durham, who is progressing onto a degree apprenticeship with County Durham technology firm Kromek after achieving a distinction in his engineering T Level.

Or Lincoln UTC student Finlay Ingram, who achieved a merit in his engineering T Level and will be progressing to a degree apprenticeship with BAE Systems in Cumbria.

UTC Norfolk’s Katie Condie, meanwhile, will be studying biochemistry at the University of Lincoln after achieving a distinction in her science T Level.

Destinations such as these prove that T Levels can deliver the “skilled and knowledgeable workforce” that Ofqual chief regulator Sir Ian Bauckham rightly says is needed for Britain’s economic future.

To reach those destinations, students have had to complete their qualification. The latest T Level results suggest that 27 per cent left the course early, which is an improvement on the 29 per cent and 34 per cent dropout rate recorded in 2024 and 2023 respectively.

The improvement in retention is cause for celebration, as it shows T Levels work for young people and that students understand the value in their course. 

T Levels have settled into the education landscape

UTCs have dovetailed perfectly with T Levels, as they already had the employer partnerships and the strong focus on delivering high-quality technical provision to make the qualifications work.

However, it was always important that the qualifications worked well in mainstream schools and colleges to ensure their viability.

While the flexibilities introduced by DfE (such as allowing students to carry out up to 20% of their work placement remotely, and 50 per cent for digital T Level students) have been controversial, they have helped make the qualifications viable for many centres. Arguably, they have contributed to the massive increase in centres delivering T Levels. A 57.4 per cent increase, from 162 to 255 centres between 2024 and 2025, should not be discounted – it is a huge improvement.

The continued support of ministers, up to and including skills minister Baroness Smith, have also helped build momentum and confidence in the brand.

T Levels are now firmly ensconced in the education landscape as the gold-standard technical education pathway and an alternative to existing vocational and technical qualifications such as BTECs. Their cohabitation with T Levels means a wide choice of pathways for students.

What does the future hold?

The future looks bright for T Levels. They have gained acceptance and understanding in the school and college sectors. From speaking to employers, we know they have started to see they can use T Levels to pipe talented young professionals into the workplace.

We expect the retention rate will improve as providers become more confident and as employers step up their support, including in terms of the elusive industry placements.

This all bodes well for technical education in England. The continued success of T Levels will help build a skilled and knowledgeable workforce for the UK economy, while also creating parity of esteem between technical and academic routes.