Found: Our T Levels and industry placement support for employers website also provides resources to support

Found: I have taken Neil Hatton and others to the Department for Education to make sure T-levels work as

Found: Further, changes to post -16 education, which increased the number of hours to study A -levels, T -levels

Found: We have significant growth in T-levels.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of people enrolled in (a) T level foundation year and (b) T levels who have not completed those courses in each of the last three academic years.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase digital learning opportunities across (a) schools and (b) colleges.

Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)

Ensuring that all children, regardless of their background, have the world class computing and digital knowledge and skills that they need for the future is a key priority of this government.

To help meet the demand for people with computing and digital qualifications and competencies, the department introduced computing as a statutory English National Curriculum subject in 2014, from Key Stages 1 to 4 inclusive. Through computing, pupils become digitally literate so that they are able to use, express themselves and develop their ideas through information and communication technology at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.

The computer science GCSE and A level were also introduced in 2013, through which students are taught to understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science. In addition, there are high quality vocational and technical digital qualifications available that are counted in the Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 performance tables, which provide alternative pathways towards digital careers. Information on the Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5 performance tables can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/key-stage-4-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-qualifications-discount-codes-and-point-scores, respectively.

The department has invested over £100 million in the National Centre for Computing Education (NCCE) to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science at GCSE and A level. The NCCE provides high quality continuing professional development and resources to teachers of all Key Stages and engages with schools and colleges across England to improve their computing provision. This includes facilitating industry-led events for pupils on careers in computing and digital.

The department is also investing to fix the basics by improvinge broadband access and connectivity and sett standards for technology infrastructure to help create an environment where all schools and trusts can use technology effectively. The department is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and commercial providers to accelerate gigabit capable broadband rollout to schools and investing up to £200 million to upgrade schools that fall below Wi-Fi connectivity standards in Education Investment Areas.

The government recognises that digital skills are important for adults of all ages, and the department is committed to improving their level of digital skills to support active participation in society.

From August 2020, the department introduced a digital entitlement for adults with no or low digital skills to undertake specified digital qualifications free of charge. The new entitlement mirrors the existing legal entitlements for English and maths and puts essential digital skills on an equal footing in the adult education system, as the third essential skill adults need for work, life and further learning.

The department introduced new Essential Digital Skills qualifications (EDSQs) at entry level and Level 1 from August 2020, which are funded under the digital entitlement. EDSQs are based on the national standards for essential digital skills and are designed to meet the diverse needs of adults with no or low digital skills byreflecting different learning needs, motivations and starting points.

To further enhance the essential digital skills offer for adults, from August 2023 the department introduced new digital Functional Skills qualifications (FSQs), which replaced FSQs in Information and Communication Technology. Digital FSQs have standardised content and assessment and provide a benchmark of digital skills for employers. These are based on subject content for digital FSQs that the department published in October 2021.

In addition to formal qualifications, the department also funds community learning and other non-regulated learning, such as building confidence in essential digital skills, through the Adult Education Budget. Many Local Authorities and other further education providers are already delivering these courses that help equip adults with the essential digital skills they need for work, life and further learning.

Of course, people may look to progress beyond essential digital skills, through a desire to retrain or upskill. Through the department’s wider skills reforms, which is backed by an additional £3.8 billion in further education and skills over the lifetime of this Parliament, it has continued to ensure learners, whatever their age, can train, retrain and upskill towards better jobs, better wellbeing and better options for the future.

The department has introduced three Digital T Levels, which include Digital Business Services, Digital Production, Design and Development, and Digital Support Services. They are the gold-standard Level 3 technical qualification that are designed with employers to meet industry standards and with a significant industry placement built in to give that all-important experience of work within the digital sector. Digital skills are increasingly important across all occupations and as a result, every T Level has the digital skills necessary for employment embedded into its curriculum.

Additionally, employers have designed over 30 high-quality digital apprenticeships to support them to develop the skilled workforces they need, including Level 3 Information Communications Technician, Level 3 IT Solutions Technician and Level 3 Digital Support Technician. The department is increasing investment in the apprenticeships system in England to £2.7 billion in the 2024/25 financial year to support employers in delivering high-quality apprenticeships.

Employers and learners can also make use of the department’s Skills Bootcamp offer, which provides free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills with an offer of a job interview upon completion. Skills bootcamps in digital form our largest sector and are available in each English region and online with courses ranging from software development to AI and Machine Learning.

More information about digital skills and other government-funded training opportunities can be found at the following link: https://www.skillsforcareers.education.gov.uk/pages/skills-for-life.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department's guidance entitled Qualifications that overlap with T Levels, updated on 29 March 2023, whether she has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of the withdrawal of funding for new starts for (a) BTEC and (b) other level 3 qualifications overlapping with T levels from 1 August 2024 on students in further education.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

This government is committed to ensuring that students in post-16 education have access to a high quality suite of qualifications that are easy to choose from and that provide the best chances for progression into higher study, or into a skilled job. The department firmly believes that A levels and T Levels are the best route at Level 3 to achieving those outcomes, supported by a range of Alternative Academic Qualifications and Technical Occupational Qualifications that are necessary, high quality and have a clear purpose.

The scale and complexity of the qualifications landscape means it is hard for students to make good choices about what they study. The qualifications currently funded do not consistently offer good progression outcomes and the department’s reforms are designed to fix this problem. The department’s new technical qualifications are based on the Institute for Apprenticeships And Technical Education’s employer led occupational standards, which means that young people can be confident they are studying the skills, knowledge and behaviours that employers need.

An impact assessment was undertaken to consider the post-16 reforms at Level 3 as a whole. It can be read here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1091841/Revised_Review_of_post-16_qualifications_at_level_3_in_England_impact_assessment.pdf.

An additional impact assessment, which is the most recent assessment produced, was conducted on the Wave 1 and 2 overlap list, which can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6421be532fa8480013ec0c23/EIA_updated_final_wave_1_2_T_Level_overlap_inc_Health_and_Science.pdf. These waves correlate to the qualifications defunded as of August 1 2024.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many funded enrolments there were on each of the courses for 16 to 19 year olds that will have funding withdrawn after 1 August 2024 in each financial year since 2021-22.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

The exact information requested is not published. Data on the number of enrolments in the 2020/21 academic year, funded through 16 to 19 study programmes on each of the qualifications that will be defunded from 1 August 2024, is published here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/qualifications-that-overlap-with-t-levels.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an estimate of the number and proportion of courses per higher education provider that accept T-levels for entry standards.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

T Levels set students up to progress onto a number of routes including employment, further education or higher education (HE). The government was delighted to see that last year, 97% of T Level students who applied for undergraduate study through UCAS received at least one offer. More information can be found here: https://www.ucas.com/corporate/news-and-key-documents/news/79-uk-18-year-old-applicants-receiving-results-gain-place-first-choice-university. Students secured places on a range of courses such as Midwifery, Computer Science and Architecture at a range of institutions.

The department has published a list of over 160 HE providers that have confirmed that they accept T Levels on at least one course. The list can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-education-providers-with-t-levels-in-entry-requirements. This list is not exhaustive or an official register of all HE providers that accept T Levels and is updated as providers confirm that they accept T Levels. Given that HE providers are autonomous institutions that regularly review the entry requirements, the department recommends that students look at the UCAS website and the websites of higher education providers for more information on entry requirements for specific courses.

The department works closely with the HE sector to ensure providers understand the content and quality of T Levels. The department has published a range of resources to support HE providers at the following site: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/t-level-resources-for-universities. The department has also published a range of resources for T Level providers who wish to support their students who are considering progressing into HE, which can be found here:https://support.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/15892783337362-T-Levels-and-Higher-Education-Progression.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, Education, how many and what proportion of students are studying for a level 3 qualification; and whether her Department has made an estimate of the number of students that will begin (a) a foundation T Level and (b) any T Level course for each academic year between 2024 and 2030.

Answered by Luke Hall - Minister of State (Education)

In 2022, there were 599,000 students aged 16 in education in England. 440,000 students, or 73%, were studying qualifications at Level 3. More information can be found in the ‘Participation in education, training and employment age 16 to 18’ publication on GOV.UK.

The department does not publish estimates for the number of students that will begin a T Level or T Level Foundation year (TLFY) in each academic year. Over 30,000 students have started a T Level since 2020, and over 16,000 students have started on the TLFY over the first four years. The recently published T Level Action Plan sets out the steps the department is taking to continue to increase uptake over the coming years.

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