T Levels launched in September 2020 as pioneering ‘gold standard’ technical qualifications, with the ‘right blend’ of classroom-based learning (80%) and industry-relevant experience (20%) in the shape of a 45-day, meaningful, co-designed industry placement. The placement enables students to gain real-world experience and applied learning to build and hone skills, while developing the knowledge and behaviours to be work and future ready. This strategy has paid off. We now see approximately a third of T Level students returning to the same employer for work following completion of their industry placement. For others, T Levels have been the gateway to higher education, inspiring inclusion and innovation.

T Levels were developed in collaboration with employers, with reference to technical standards, and there has been a clear focus on meeting the needs of industry. Their aim is to develop students with the ‘ingredients for success’: T-shaped learner characteristics. These include:

• transferable professional skills: instilling in students a deep understanding of their chosen industry occupation and sector;
• transferable personal qualities including the all-important employability or ‘soft skills’, often referred to as innovation or productivity skills; and
• subject specialist technical knowledge: practical skills and experience, and scientific and technical discourse.

Together, these knowledge, skills and behaviours give students their best chance of realising their goals and ambitions of progressing to higher level study, an apprenticeship, or employment.

Resources such as The UK Standard Skills Classification, published in November 2025, have provided a useful standardised list for both providers and students of the skills, knowledge and tasks required for UK occupations. The classification outlines what effective occupational skill performance looks like, enabling individuals to improve their performance by benchmarking for success.

Recognition of T Levels as high-quality study pathways to employment and/or higher education has been earned. Students have progressed to gain employment with major national and international companies, and there is a growing list of diverse UK universities, helpfully listed on the Department for Education website, who offer T Level students places for higher education study. It is also notable that many universities are now offering high-quality industry placements for T Level learners, which provides students with the opportunity to experience work and life in a university setting before they attend. For some individuals, this experience could be just the ‘lifebelt’ they need, developing a sense of belonging to support their progression.

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