T-levels | FE Week

T-levels could be under threat if no deal Brexit goes ahead

The introduction of T-levels could be under threat if a “no deal” Brexit goes ahead, according to reports this morning – although the Department for Education has denied this. The Times newspaper listed the new technical qualifications as being “considered vulnerable to ‘reprioritisation’” in the event that the UK leaves the European Union at the […]

Second round of T-levels teacher programme opens

Colleges and other post-16 providers are being urged to bid for cash to train industry experts as teachers, in the second round of the Taking Teaching Further scheme. The programme, worth £5 million, seeks to recruit industry specialists and retrain them to work in the post-16 and FE workforce with a particular focus on the […]

Where will all the T-level teachers come from?

The ambitious plans for T-levels will surely fail unless more well-qualified staff can be attracted to the sector, warns Simon Martin In September we saw FE representatives from across the sector almost unanimously voting that the timetable for T-level implementation was “reckless”, at the parliamentary debate staged by FE Week and Pearson. But even if […]

IfA consulting on content for three new T-level pathways

The Institute for Apprenticeships is seeking input from providers, awarding organisations and employers on the draft content for three more T-level pathways. Its consultation on the three new courses – two in construction and one in digital – was launched today and runs until November 12. The new pathways, in onsite construction, building services engineering […]

The fallacy of our ‘employer-led’ skills system

If employers are to be given the driving seat in workforce development, they have to be given the keys to the car, says Tom Bewick The mantra coming out of Whitehall is that our country operates a skills and apprenticeship system owned and “driven by employers”. In fact, just about every government white paper since […]

Great debate on T-levels: an ambitious or reckless timetable?

The motion: This house believes the T-level reform implementation timeframe is ambitious but not reckless More than 200 figures from across the FE and skills sector gathered at the Houses of Parliament on Monday, September 10 for FE Week and Pearson’s second great debate, this time on the implementation of T-levels. Just a week after […]

T-levels tender launched by Department for Education

The highly anticipated and controversial T-levels tender process has now been launched by the Department for Education. Awarding organisations can bid for an “exclusive license” to develop and deliver the new qualifications, in a contract worth £17.5 million. Three separate tenders have been launched – one for each of the first pathways to be delivered […]

On the eve of the controversial T-level tender – when, how and why?

On the eve of the launch of the government’s first ever tender for a single awarding organisation for a qualification, FE Week takes a look at the twists and turns of the tangled T-levels procurement process to date. The controversial full tender process to find awarding organisations to offer the first T-levels qualifications is due […]

We need three post-16 pathways: A-levels, T-levels and applied generals

Two post-16 education pathways are not enough: we need an academic route, an occupational route and a career route, argues Rod Bristow There is a strong consensus in education that we need to do more to offer people a clear pathway to acquire the knowledge and skills they need to succeed at work. That’s why support […]