Have your say on new agriculture T Level training for 16 to 19s

• New T Level can bring more skilled young people into agriculture, land management and production and capitalise on exciting technological advances.
• Take part in consultation to help shape exciting government training programme geared at 16 to 19-year-olds.

The need to attract young and upcoming talent into farming has never been greater.

The average age of farmers in this country is now approaching 60, while the proportion aged under 35 has remained stubbornly under 5% since the turn of the millennium.

This brings with it long-held concerns about where the next generation trained to meet advancing technology needs will come from.

T Levels can play a major role in redressing that and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, a government body that oversees technical education, needs your help with shaping them. Our consultation is seeking the views of everyone involved with the agriculture, land management and production sector on the planned content for this exciting new qualification.

The Institute’s deputy director for technical education implementation, Carmel Grant, said:

“T Levels can play a vital role in attracting younger people into agriculture, land management and production and maximising benefits to the sector from technological advances. This consultation is open to everyone who cares about agriculture and how we train the next generation. We need feedback from as many people as possible.”

The consultation is focused on the draft outline content for the T Level designed by our panel of industry experts. It involves seven training specialisms: crop production, floristry, habitat management (land and water), land-based engineering, livestock production, ornamental and environmental horticulture and landscaping, trees and woodland management and maintenance.

T Levels are new two-year classroom-based technical study programmes, which will also involve a substantial amount of work experience. They are being rolled out across the economy and alongside apprenticeships and A levels, T Levels will be one of the three major options available to students aged 16 – 19.

Alongside the agriculture, land management and production T Level, another consultation has been launched on the draft outline content for animal care and management T Level. This also closes on Monday, 13 July.

For background

• T Levels will be the technical equivalent to A Levels, combining classroom theory, practical learning and an industry placement. The new T Levels will involve 80 per cent classroom-based learning, and 20 per cent on-the-job learning through substantial industry placements and are equivalent to 3 A Levels.
• T levels are being rolled out from 2020 to 2023 across 11 different sectors, which in addition to agriculture include sectors such as digital, construction, engineering & manufacturing and business & administration.
• The first three T Levels (in Education and Childcare, Construction and Digital) will be available for delivery to students from September 2020.
• The agriculture and land management and production, and animal care and management T Levels will be launched in 2023
• This Institute will be running webinars for employers starting next week to gather feedback on the draft outline content and ensure T Levels include the knowledge and skills required by those who will be recruiting people into the industry. For more information email us at [email protected]. These will take place on:

Floristry: 22 June

Crop Production: 22nd June

Ornamental and Environmental Horticulture and Landscaping: 23 June

Tree and Woodland Management and Maintenance: 23 June

Land-based Engineering: 24 June

Livestock Production: 24 June

Habitat Management – Land and Water: 26 June

Animal Care and Management: 30 June

Equine Care and Management: 30 June