More awareness still needed of new T Level qualifications says new report from NFER

Significant work is needed to raise awareness and understanding of T Levels amongst young people and parents/carers for the programmes to succeed, advises the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER). 

With just under a year until the first wave of the qualifications hit the classrooms in September 2020, there is concern that young people could miss out on studying T Levels due to a lack of awareness and understanding of what the programmes offer.

NFER’s previous study ‘T Levels Research Study: How Are Providers Preparing for Delivery?’ highlighted that a number of providers and sector representatives called for the Government to ensure that T Levels were firmly on the public agenda through effective promotional campaigns to generate interest and awareness. The Government has since launched the NexT Level campaign to raise the profile of its new T Level technical qualifications.

As detailed in NFER’s new follow-up report, based on discussions from their round table with providers and sector representatives in October, providers and sector representatives felt that there remained significant work to do to raise the awareness and understanding of T Levels, despite praising the national and local marketing support. NFER research suggests that, over time, policy makers should provide information on T Levels to students at a much younger age, and particularly before GCSE choices are made. 

While there is great commitment and confidence in the sector to deliver these new qualifications from September 2020, there remain other challenges alongside raising awareness, such as uncertainty around progression routes. 

Although delegates welcomed the UCAS Tariff Points allocated to T Levels, a majority of universities in the elite Russell Group are yet to decide whether they will accept students who have the qualification and onto what courses. Linked to this, decisions made by Russell Group universities may influence other universities and could tarnish T Levels in the minds of students and parents/carers. It was felt that students studying for a Digital T Level would want to progress to university while those studying Education and Childcare and Construction would more likely seek to progress into employment or apprenticeships. The report suggests that policy makers need to provide more clarity on the progression from T Levels to university and to Level 4 apprenticeships. 

Suzanne Straw, Education to Employment Lead at NFER said; “There is no doubt that the positivity and enthusiasm of providers and key sector representatives will drive forward the introduction of the first three T Levels next year. A significant challenge is demonstrating that these new technical education programmes will lead to positive progression into employment, apprenticeships or higher education. As well as focussing on raising awareness of the value of T Levels with students, parents/carers and higher education providers, there needs to be sustained promotion across the full roll out and beyond.”

“While providers are optimistic in regards to the introduction of T Levels and the opportunities they will bring, they are facing a range of challenges in introducing large-scale changes so quickly. For example, the late availability of the full T Level specifications in March 2020 and the tight timescale for fully developing the qualifications is still a cause for concern. As the country approaches a General Election, it is imperative that sufficient ongoing investment and support is given to these new technical qualifications to ensure their success.”

NFER will continue to track the progress of T Levels over the coming months and years and provide an independent commentary on their progress and outcomes.    

Ends.

For further information or interview requests, please contact: Sundip Gill (NFER) on 01753 637218 s.gill@nfer.ac.uk

Notes to Editors:

1)    This report provides a follow-up to the T Levels Research Study report (see bullet 2), which was published by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in June 2019. It is based on discussions that took place at NFER’s T Levels round table event, which was held in London on 8th October 2019. The T Levels round table was attended by:

• six provider representatives
• ten senior sector representatives
• a representative from the Department for Education.
• A list of attendees can be found in Appendix 1.

2)      Straw, S., Sims, S., McCrone, T. and Bradley, E. (2019). T Levels Research: How Are Providers Preparing for Delivery? Slough: NFER.