Leading Midlands college group awarded more than £1.8 million in T Level funding

A leading Midlands college group has been awarded more than £1.8 million to expand its technical qualifications provision.

WCG, which includes six colleges across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, has been awarded a £1,893,690 T Level Capital Fund Building and Facilities Improvement Grant (TLCF BFIG) by the Department for Education.

The funding will enable the college group to launch T Level qualifications in Animal Care and Management at Moreton Morrell College from September 2024 and in Creative and Design at Royal Leamington Spa College from September 2025.

It comes as the government looks to replace existing BTEC qualifications with T Level courses.

A total of £1,150,000 will be used to upgrade the Animal Care facilities at Moreton Morrell College while almost £744,000 will be invested in upgrading Creative and Design facilities at Royal Leamington Spa College to ensure students have access to specialist industry-standard equipment which will help promote progression into skilled employment.

T Levels are two-year courses which have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work.

They offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement of around 45 days, providing the knowledge and experience needed to open the door into skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship.

Mark Bonham, Assistant Principal and T Levels lead at WCG, said:

“We are extremely pleased to be awarded this funding which will enable us to expand our T Levels provision at WCG.

“We already have extremely strong connections with employers across Warwickshire and Worcestershire, and are committed to collaborating with them to help deliver the current and future skills needs of the region.

“This funding means that we will be able to make significant investments into our facilities, ensuring that students are working with industry-standard equipment so that they are best placed to progress into employment following their studies.”

The funding comes as part of the government’s latest investment in T Levels, with more than £100 million in funding to support 108 T Level projects announced.

Minister for Skills, Apprenticeship and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:

“This boost of over £100 million is our latest investment in T Levels. These are robust, high quality technical qualifications providing a unique ladder of opportunity for students to gain both classroom knowledge and on-the-job experience.

 “From robotics suites that support digital T Levels to simulated health wards where students can get a real sense of what it means to work in Healthcare Science, T Levels will support young people into rewarding careers and back businesses with the skills of the future.”