Reading College excited to offer new T Level qualifications

Reading College, part of the Activate Learning group, is pleased to announce that it will be offering new T Level qualifications in Business: Management and Administration and Engineering from September 2022.  

What are T Levels? 

The new Technical Level (T Level) programmes offer a strong alternative to A Levels or an apprenticeship. 

T Levels are employer led qualifications, which follow on from GCSEs and carry the equivalent UCAS points as three A Levels. They have been co-designed with 250 leading employers, so students can gain the knowledge and skills they need to either progress on to degree level education or start their career once they have completed their programme.  

Combining 80% classroom learning and 20% industry placement, the two-year programmes have been designed for students who prefer a more technical education when they come to college, rather than following a purely academic pathway, or a work-based apprenticeship. 

The industry placements are nine weeks in length and carried out across the two-year programme – meaning that students will be able to put the skills they have learned in the classroom into practice, giving them valuable and meaningful work experience.  

Salwa Boon, Curriculum Design Director responsible for the roll-out of T Levels at Activate Learning, said:

“We are very excited to extend our T Level offer in September 2022 by introducing new T Levels in Engineering and Business: Management and Administration. 

“We believe T Levels are exciting new qualifications, that have been developed with even greater input from employers across the relevant sectors and give students a unique opportunity to be work-ready. 

“We have worked hard at Activate Learning to develop a strong network of employer partners, which has opened up amazing opportunities for our students once they have successfully completed their T Level with us. This includes guaranteed interviews for roles, further developmental opportunities and internships.” 

“We’ve been able to do this because the employers we are working with recognise how much potential T Levels have. The qualifications provide young people with an amazing blend of academic learning alongside all the rich and varied experiences they will gain within workplace settings. 

“They will help to deliver work-ready, employable young people, who will help our local economy meet the challenges of the future.” 

Jo Sandy, Head of Clinical Education and Workforce at Royal Berkshire Foundation Trust, said:

“We are delighted to be able to work collaboratively with Activate Learning to offer clinical placements for students studying the new Health T Levels.  

“This new style of qualification brings together an academic qualification with experience in the workplace. It provides a fantastic opportunity for us to engage with young people who are considering careers in health care and showcase the opportunities available at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.  

“Initiatives such as this is one of many the Trust is engaging with to support the national target of recruiting 50,000 new nurses by 2024. We recognise these students as our future workforce and will do all we can to provide varied and engaging placements and inspire them to consider healthcare as their career of choice.” 

With the already successful launch of T Levels at two Activate Learning colleges, Reading College and City of Oxford College in September 2021, the group plan to widen the offering at Reading College in the 2022/23 academic year.  

T Levels will be available in: Business: Management and Administration, Digital Production, Design and Development, Engineering and Health (Adult Nursing).

T Levels Transition Programme  

In addition, from September 2022, the college will be expanding their offering of specialist Transition programmes aimed at school leavers who are not ready to start a T Level but havethe potential to progress onto one.  

These one-year programmes will be available in the following subjects: Business, Care, ICT, Engineering, Professional Catering, Hair and Beauty, and Media Production and Technology.  

This programme is specifically designed to develop the skills, experience, knowledge and behaviours to support progression onto a T Level and aim to provide learners with a clear understanding of what is involved, as well as guaranteeing them an interview of their chosen T Level at the end of the year.