Lancashire colleges to pioneer new 'T level', announces minister

Four Lancashire colleges have been picked to pioneer a new '˜T level' qualification.
Blackpool and the Fylde College is one of four Lancashire colleges selectedBlackpool and the Fylde College is one of four Lancashire colleges selected
Blackpool and the Fylde College is one of four Lancashire colleges selected

Education secretary Damian Hinds announced today that four county colleges – Cardinal Newman college in Preston, Runshaw College in Leyland, Blackpool & The Fylde College and Nelson and Colne College – had been picked to offer the new qualifications to students.

The T level is a technical qialification which is college-based but includes a compulsory three-month industry placement.

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The first three courses to be offered are in construction, digital and education and childcare and will be on offer from September 2020.

The government is then planing to roll out another 22 different courses.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said: “T Levels represent a once in a lifetime opportunity to reform technical education in this country so we can rival the world’s best performing systems.

“For too long young people have not had a genuine choice about their future aged 16. Whilst A levels provide a world class academic qualification, many technical education courses are undervalued by employers and don’t always provide students with the skills they need to secure a good job - that has to change.”

Other courses planned from 2021 include finance and accounting, engineering and manufacturing, and creative design.

Across the UK, 52 colleges will be offering T levels from September 2020.