Shrewsbury College to trial new T Level qualifications
Shrewsbury College has been chosen to be one of just 15 in the country to trial a new educational qualification.
As the only academic facility in the West Midlands to run the courses, Shrewsbury College was chosen based on the number of its students who secure work experience places.
A review of vocational education, which resulted in the Post 16 Skills Plan, has suggested a change to the current qualification structures and the introduction of 15 new Technical or T Levels.
The recommendations were that the qualifications should better represent the skills that employers want from new recruits with work placements becoming a compulsory part of the suggested 15 routes.
Some of the new T Levels are expected to be rolled out in 2019 and 2020 and by 2022 all of the vocational routes are expected to be ready for students to start.
Under the new scheme, every student taking a T Level will have to complete 300 hours of work experience in order to pass.
Principal of Shrewsbury Colleges Group, James Staniforth, said: “The Government is keen to understand how the work placement aspect will work best, so the Department for Education launched a funded pilot project. We are one of these few colleges.
"The pilot is about finding the employers to commit to taking on a student for 300 hours work experience.”
Before July 2018 when the pilot finishes, 168 students at Shrewsbury College will need to undertake 300 hours of work experience. The areas that the college is working with are health and social care, media, music, construction, engineering, catering and hospitality.
Catherine Armstrong, group vice principal, said: “This is an important opportunity we have been given in Shropshire to really shape the future of training and likewise, for local employers.”
The college is keen to hear from businesses who would like to be involved. Contact Julia Davies at juliad@shrews bury.ac.uk or call her on 01743 342347.
