The programmes to be taught in wave two of the government’s T-level roll-out will be announced by the education secretary today.
Qualifications in health, healthcare science, science, onsite construction, building services engineering, digital support and services and digital business services are to be taught from 2021.
Damian Hinds is also going to reveal that T-levels will be allocated UCAS tariff points, with each programme carrying the same points as three A-levels.
He is expected to make the announcements during a speech to business leaders about ending “snobbery” in technical education, in which he’ll also reveal plans for a new “generation” of higher technical qualifications.
“I want us to break down some of the false barriers we’ve erected between academic and technical routes,” he will say.
“I don’t see any reason why higher technical training shouldn’t be open to certain A-level students as long as they have the prerequisite knowledge and practical skill.
“Equally, I want T-level students, that want to, to be able to go to university to do relevant technical degrees.”
The Department for Education said that by awarding UCAS points to T-levels, young people, parents and employers will “know they are as stretching as their academic equivalents and will act as a stepping stone to progress to the next level whether that is a degree, higher level technical training or an apprenticeship”.
The first three T-levels, in education, construction and digital routes, will be taught by 50 training providers from 2020.
A new DfE action plan for the technical qualifications said: “As we move into the second year of the programme, the criteria to select providers for T-level delivery in 2021 has been developed to focus on larger providers, to increase the number of students taking T-levels in the second year of rollout.
“It also ensures that we are able to select a relatively small number of providers so we can continue providing the right level of support in the early stages of rollout.”
The DfE is aiming to select an additional 50 to 75 providers for 2021.
“We expect to announce which T-levels will be available from September 2022 next Autumn, and will continue to work closely with the institute to agree which T-levels will be ready for delivery,” today’s action plan said.
“We will also confirm at that time which providers will be able to deliver from 2022. We currently expect roll out to be significantly increased at this stage as T-levels become a more ‘main stream’ part of the qualifications offer.”
The full roll-out of the new technical qualifications will not happen until September 2023.
The IfA launched a consultation for the draft content of three of the seven new pathways in today’s announcement, in onsite construction, building services engineering and digital support and services, in October.
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