There are over 2,000 qualifications available at level 3, and as part of first overlap process T Levels we asked independent assessors to look at over 700 of these as they are in similar subject areas to wave 1 and 2 T Levels.

Assessors were asked to assess qualifications against three tests:

• is it a technical qualification, in that it primarily aims to support entry to employment in a specific occupational area(s)?
• are the outcomes that must be attained by a person taking the qualification similar to those set out in a standard covered by a T Level?
• does the qualification aim to support entry to the same occupation(s) as a T Level?

Only qualifications which met all three tests in relation to a wave 1 and 2 T Level were included on the provisional list. Assessors considered evidence such as qualification specifications to determine whether these tests were met.

To ensure the rigour of this process recommendations were moderated internally and we published a provisional list of 160 qualification on 11 May. We have put in place an appeals process if awarding organisations do not feel we have applied the criteria correctly, and awarding organisations have until 8 July 2022 to submit appeals.

The assessors commenced work in summer 2021 and their involvement in the wave 1 and 2 overlap process will conclude once the appeals process has been completed in September 2022.

There are over 2,000 qualifications available at level 3, and as part of first overlap process T Levels we asked independent assessors to look at over 700 of these as they are in similar subject areas to wave 1 and 2 T Levels.

Assessors were asked to assess qualifications against three tests:

• is it a technical qualification, in that it primarily aims to support entry to employment in a specific occupational area(s)?
• are the outcomes that must be attained by a person taking the qualification similar to those set out in a standard covered by a T Level?
• does the qualification aim to support entry to the same occupation(s) as a T Level?

Only qualifications which met all three tests in relation to a wave 1 and 2 T Level were included on the provisional list. Assessors considered evidence such as qualification specifications to determine whether these tests were met.

To ensure the rigour of this process recommendations were moderated internally and we published a provisional list of 160 qualification on 11 May. We have put in place an appeals process if awarding organisations do not feel we have applied the criteria correctly, and awarding organisations have until 8 July 2022 to submit appeals.

The assessors commenced work in summer 2021 and their involvement in the wave 1 and 2 overlap process will conclude once the appeals process has been completed in September 2022.

The industry placement is a mandatory component of the T Level and every student must complete a placement in order to complete their T Level. We currently do not, nor plan to, set targets on the number of T Level students and industry placements, in each academic year. This is a conscious decision as we want students to enrol on the T Level courses because they are the right choice for them to make the career progression they want. The quality of the qualification and the value to the student’s future career are what will drive take-up of T Levels.

The department has already completed a mapping exercise of the science concepts in the Science T Level Technical Qualification to the BTEC National Extended Diploma in Applied Science, and this information is publicly available. The mapping also extends to AS and A levels in biology, chemistry, and physics. This activity was undertaken to support higher education providers in setting entry requirements for T Levels for relevant degree courses, and we will continue to complete similar exercises for relevant T Levels in future waves. These publications should be reviewed alongside the relevant T Level Technical Qualification specification.

It is important to note that the primary purpose of a T Level is to support entry to employment, although we recognise that some T Level students will want to continue to study their chosen subject at a higher level.

Full publications of the mapping for the Health and Science and Science T Levels are available here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1057645/Science_content_common_to_all_T_Levels_within_the_Health_and_Science_route.pdf and here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1057651/Science_content_in_the_T_Level_Technical_Qualification_in_Science_.pdf.

We want as many young people as possible to benefit from T Levels, the new gold standard in technical education. In January this year we launched our ‘Get the Jump’ campaign, which helps 14-19 year olds explore their education and training options, and spotlights T Levels, Apprenticeships, Traineeships and Higher Technical Qualifications in particular. We are working closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company, Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme, Academy Trusts and other representative bodies to ensure that teachers and careers leaders have the information and resources they need to communicate the benefits of T Levels to their students. In addition, this August will see the first T Levels results day and there are a number of activities planned to celebrate and promote the achievements of the first cohort of T Level students, both regionally and around social media to signpost students to the dedicated T Levels website.

Our ‘Join the Skills Revolution’ campaign promotes government’s training and employment schemes, including T Levels, to employers. We are also engaging directly with employers to raise awareness of T Levels and promote industry placements, and we have established a T Level employer ambassador network so that employers can promote T Levels within their industry networks.

Both campaigns make use of a wide range of channels, including use of social media to get through to young people, parents and employers.

The department wants as many young people as possible to benefit from T Levels, the new gold standard qualifications in technical education. In January this year, we launched our ‘Get the Jump’ campaign, which helps 14-19-year-olds explore their education and training options, and spotlights T Levels, apprenticeships, traineeships and higher technical qualifications in particular. We are working closely with the Careers and Enterprise Company, Apprenticeship Support and Knowledge programme, academy trusts and other representative bodies to ensure that teachers and careers leaders have the information and resources they need to communicate the benefits of T Levels to their students. In addition, this August will see the first T Levels results day and there are a number of activities planned to celebrate and promote the achievements of the first cohort of T Level students, both regionally and around social media to signpost students to the dedicated T Levels website.

Our ‘Join the Skills Revolution’ campaign promotes the government’s training and employment schemes, including T Levels, to employers. We are also engaging directly with employers to raise awareness of T Levels and promote industry placements, and we have established a T Level employer ambassador network so that employers can promote T Levels within their industry networks.

Both campaigns make use of a wide range of channels, including the use of social media to get through to young people, parents and employers.

Last week, the Government published a list of BTECs that they intend to scrap, and impact assessments show that 27% of BTEC students are deemed the most disadvantaged. I was one of those students, and a BTEC got me back into education and on to university. T-levels will not appeal to all those students. Assessors are making decisions affecting the lives of thousands of young people, so can the Minister confirm who these assessors actually are?

The department recognises that significant additional funding will be needed for the successful introduction and delivery of T Levels. We announced in 2017 that T Level programmes would be backed by up to an additional £500 million of investment every year when fully rolled out. Some of this additional £500 million is included in the £1.6 billion extra announced for 16-19 funding by the 2024/25 financial year, compared with the 2021/22 financial year, in the recent Spending Review.

We have made available £268 million in capital funding for the first three waves of T Level delivery, starting in September 2020, 2021, and 2022. This funding is being used to improve the quality of facilities and equipment that will be used to deliver T Levels. Eligible providers will also be able to access training to help prepare their teachers and leaders.

As set out in the table below, we have also allocated £207.6 million to help the sector build capacity for T Level industry placements and deliver placements to students on existing programmes. From the 2020/21 academic year, we have allocated £3.2 million in industry placement funding for those on T Level programmes. In addition, T Levels include more teaching hours and are more prescriptive in the content than general 16-19 study programmes. Therefore, four larger bands have been added to the 16-19 funding bands to ensure T level providers receive the additional funding required.

The funding data for the financial years 2022/23, 2023/24 and 2024/25 is not yet available.

Ensuring employers are made aware of T Levels and are well prepared to deliver high-quality industry placements is key to the success of T Level delivery. We have invested over £200 million over the past 4 years to help providers build their capacity and relationships with employers and have developed a comprehensive package of advice and guidance to support providers to deliver placements, as well as networking opportunities to share best practice.

We are engaging directly with employers of all sizes throughout England, via the Department’s employer engagement teams, to promote the benefits of T Levels and of hosting industry placements. We are providing an extensive programme of employer focussed support to help ensure employers are able to deliver placements. This includes a comprehensive employer support package, which offers guidance, workshops and webinars, as well as tailored advice and direct hands-on support, to help build employer confidence, capability and capacity to deliver high-quality industry placements. We have also implemented different delivery models to ensure placements can be delivered by employers across all industries and locations. Our T Level ambassador network is enabling employers to engage with others in their industries on T Levels and placements, via events and webinars. Finally, we have put in place a short-term incentive fund, offering employers £1,000 per industry placement, to encourage employers to offer placements during the pandemic, which has been warmly welcomed by employers.

We will continue to monitor the delivery of placements throughout England and work closely with employers to identify what support they will need going forward to enable them to deliver high-quality placements.

Small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are key to ensuring that industry placements are a successful component of T Levels, as they make up a large proportion of the employer landscape. Through the department’s employer engagement teams, we are engaging directly with employers of all sizes, including SMEs, to explain the benefits of T Levels and of industry hosting placements, and to help provide a strong pipeline of employers, across all sectors, that are ready to offer placements.

We are providing an extensive programme of support to help ensure employers of all sizes can deliver placements. This includes a comprehensive employer support package, offering guidance, workshops, webinars, tailored advice, and hands-on support to help build employer confidence and capability in delivering high quality industry placements. We have also implemented several different delivery models to ensure placements can be delivered by employers of different sizes, across all industries and locations, and our T Level Ambassador Network is enabling employers, including SMEs, to engage with others in their industries on T Levels and placements. Finally, we have put in place a short-term incentive fund, offering employers £1,000 per industry placement, to encourage employer engagement during the COVID-19 outbreak. This has been warmly welcomed by SMEs.

We will continue to monitor the delivery of placements and work closely with employers, including SMEs, to identify what support they will need going forward to deliver high-quality placements.

Ensuring employers are made aware of T Levels and are well prepared to deliver high quality industry placements is key to the success of T Level delivery. We have invested over £200 million over the past 4 years to help providers build their capacity and relationships with employers, and have developed a comprehensive package of advice and guidance to support providers to deliver placements, as well as networking opportunities to share best practice.

We are engaging directly with employers of all sizes throughout England, via the department’s employer engagement teams, to promote the benefits of T Levels and of hosting industry placements. We are providing an extensive programme of employer focussed support to help ensure employers are able to deliver placements. This includes a comprehensive employer support package, which offers guidance, workshops and webinars, as well as tailored advice and direct hands-on support, to help build employer confidence, and capability and capacity to deliver high-quality industry placements. We have also implemented different delivery models to ensure placements can be delivered by employers across all industries and locations. Our T Level ambassador network is enabling employers to engage with others in their industries on T Levels and placements. Finally, we have put in place a short-term incentive fund, offering employers £1,000 per industry placement, to encourage employers to offer placements during the pandemic, which has been warmly welcomed by employers.

We will continue to monitor the delivery of placements throughout England and work closely with employers to identify what support they will need going forward to enable them to deliver high quality placements.

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are key to ensuring that industry placements are a successful component of T Levels, as they make up a large proportion of the employer landscape. We are engaging directly with employers of all sizes, including SMEs, through the department’s employer engagement teams to explain the benefits of T Levels and of industry hosting placements, and to help provide a strong pipeline of employers, across all sectors, ready to offer placements.

We are providing an extensive programme of support to help ensure employers of all sizes, including SMEs, are able to deliver placements. This includes a comprehensive employer support package, which offers guidance, workshops, and webinars, as well as tailored advice and direct hands-on support, to help build employer confidence and capability to deliver high-quality industry placements. We have also implemented several different delivery models to ensure placements can be delivered by employers of different sizes, across all industries and locations, and our T Level ambassador network is enabling employers, including SMEs, to engage with others in their industries on T Levels and placements. Finally, we have put in place a short-term incentive fund, offering employers £1,000 per industry placement, to encourage employers to offer placements during the COVID-19 outbreak, which has been warmly welcomed by SMEs.

We will continue to monitor the delivery of placements and work closely with employers, including SMEs, to identify what support they will need going forward to enable them to deliver high quality placements.

T Levels are significantly larger than other 16-19 study programmes. They are 2 year courses that include a substantial technical qualification and mandatory 9 week industry placement and cover significant theoretical and practical content to ensure students are able to successfully progress into work or further technical study. The T Level Transition Programme, in contrast, provides an additional year of support and preparation for those students who need it, before they are ready to enrol on a T Level. The differences in the number of funded hours for these programmes reflects their respective purposes and content.

From academic year 2022/23, T Levels and the T Level Transition Programmes will benefit from the additional hours the department will be funding for 16-19 education. For a band 5 ‘full-time’ T Level Transition Programme, this will mean an extra 40 hours, taking funded hours up to a minimum of 580 hours, with proportionate increases for smaller programmes. Students may also be able to receive additional small group tuition via the 16-19 Tuition Fund.

What steps his Department is taking to strengthen the value of technical qualifications.

Will the Minister join me in congratulating my constituent Adele Hughes, who is working as an apprentice with Raytheon Technologies, on being awarded a bronze medal at the recent WorldSkills UK Competition, and does he agree that Adele’s remarkable achievement demonstrates the value of technical qualifications and apprenticeships?

More than a quarter of a million students are studying BTECs, but the Government are rushing ahead with a set of changes about which parents and schools and colleges are very concerned, especially as BTECs are taken up disproportionately by the most disadvantaged families in the most disadvantaged communities. One of the issues that have been raised with me is the limited number of opportunities and qualifications that will be available under T-levels, in comparison with BTECs. Can the Minister explain how a levelling-up agenda is being advanced by a reduction in the range of opportunities available to such students?

Apprenticeships and technical qualifications are extremely important to my constituents. Following the success of my jobs fair last year, I am organising an apprenticeships fair on 11 February this year. Will the Minister agree to open the fair, or to come along at some point during the day and support those young people in my constituency who are looking for an alternative route into work?

We have provided an extensive programme of employer and provider support to help with the delivery and scale up of high-quality industry placements. We have invested £200 million over the past 4 years to help providers build their capacity and relationships with employers, and we have published practical industry placement delivery guidance for both education providers and employers. We are engaging directly with employers through the department’s employer engagement teams to provide a strong pipeline of employers, across all sectors, ready to offer placements and there is comprehensive package of support available for employers offering online guidance, webinars, and direct hands-on support to help them deliver industry placements. We have established a T Level employer ambassador network to engage with others in their industries on T Levels and placements, and we are further developing our communications materials to continue to raise the profile of T Levels and industry placements to an employer audience. We will continue to work closely with education providers and employers to identify any potential barriers to the delivery of placements for each of the T Levels and identify appropriate mitigations.

We currently do not, nor plan to, collect data on the number of T Level industry placements delivered, or committed to, by individual companies. Instead, this information is held by education providers, who are responsible for securing industry placements for their T Level students. Therefore, we are unable to report on the number of companies currently offering or planning on offering placements.

However, through our ongoing engagement with employers, education providers and key stakeholders, we are able to identify which sectors and geographical locations we need to focus on to support the delivery of further industry placement opportunities for T Level students.