Every year, T Levels Week provides colleges and businesses with a valuable opportunity to promote and spotlight the impact of these important technical qualifications. This year, HSDC is making the most of the occasion by celebrating the major success that T Levels have brought to the College since their introduction.
What are T Levels?
T Levels are dynamic Level 3 qualifications equivalent to three A Levels that provide an emphasis on developing employability skills within the subject’s relevant sector. At the heart of this is a substantial work experience placement of at least 45 days (315 hours) of on-the-job training comprising 20% of the qualification, with the remaining 80% being spent in a classroom setting.
T Levels at HSDC
In 2020, it was announced that HSDC would become the first College in Hampshire to provide T Levels during their launch year, offering courses in Construction, Digital: IT and Education & Childcare. Over the past five years, the T Level curriculum at HSDC has continued to grow, with a massive variety of these qualifications being offered at both Alton College and our South Downs Campus.
These include Engineering, Animal Care, Business & Management and Health & Nursing. Every year, more T Levels are considered for the curriculum to widen opportunities for our students, with a Marketing T Level starting in September 2024. HSDC is also excited to be introducing a Science T Level at our South Downs Campus from September 2026, providing students with a hands-on headstart into an exciting and ever-changing industry.
HSDC’s commitment to the excellent delivery of these qualifications led to us being named in a recent DfE report as the best T Level provider in the region, and the ninth best nationally! This is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the experience of our lecturers and the passion of our students.
Consistent investment in our facilities ensures that we can continue to offer a high-tech curriculum to students on these T Levels. A £2.4 million renovation of South Downs’ East Building was completed in October 2023, allowing students on the Engineering T Level to work with cutting-edge technology in a positive and modern learning environment.
T Level Results – 2024/25
Our recent set of results released in August reaffirm the excellence of HSDC’s T Level provision, with students at our South Downs Campus achieving a flawless 100% pass rate, far surpassing the national average of 91.4%.
T Level Results at Alton College were similarly excellent, with particular success being seen on the Education & Early Years Course. With a 100% pass rate, nearly half of students on this course achieved the highest grades of Merit or Distinction. One Alton student on this T Level achieved a very rare Distinction* grade, one of only 15 in the entire country!
Karen Parish, an Early Years lecturer at Alton, spoke of her T Level students with pride, saying:
“We’re incredibly proud of all of our students and can’t wait to see what they do in the future! Almost half of our current Year 1 students have been offered employment whilst still completing their qualification, speaking volumes about the quality of their placements and the real-world readiness embedded in our curriculum.”
Student Voices
We spoke to former T Level students about their time on these courses at HSDC to hear what they had to say about their experiences and how the qualifications have helped them in their careers.
Joe studied a T Level in Digital: IT and currently works in the Defence Sector. He spoke about how the T Level provided him with the foundational knowledge required to succeed in this industry:
“I started the T Level with no programming experience at all, but have since achieved a Merit in my occupational specialism project! This shows that anyone can truly succeed on these courses and set yourself up with skills for life!”
After completing her T Level in Health & Nursing, Lucy went on to continue her studies on a Masters in Adult and Mental Health Nursing at the University of Southampton. When asked about her time at HSDC, Lucy said:
“I loved every minute of my T Level and would encourage others to do it as well! The focus on real work experience was crucial for my interviews and helped me to secure my place at university!”
Pre-T Levels
HSDC also offers a Level 2 ‘Pre-T Level’ course in a variety of subject areas for students who didn’t quite meet the entry requirements for direct entry onto the full T Level programme. This is a one year transition course that can be studied alongside English and Mathematics, and has been vital for students at HSDC to achieve their goals.
Alton College student Jamie embarked on the Engineering Pre-T Level course after failing to achieve the required maths criteria for the Level 3 programme. He successfully completed the Pre-T Level, and is now studying on the full Engineering T Level! Speaking about the importance of this programme, Jamie said:
“Taking the Pre-T Level was great to build my confidence and make me comfortable in a working environment. Now that I’ve progressed onto the full T Level, my problem-solving skills have grown massively, meaning I feel ready to adapt to more complex problems that I might face in the workplace.”
HSDC’s T Level Links With Employers
Across all work-based learning departments, HSDC works with over 1,500 employers to ensure that our students are equipped with the contemporary skills and experience required to enter the workforce. Hosting a T Level student brings a vast amount of benefits to a business, including upskilling their employees and preparing for future talent acquisition.
We spoke to several businesses who have hosted HSDC’s T Level students on their industry placements to hear how these qualifications can help employers.
Tonia Anderson of Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust spoke highly of HSDC’s students:
“We are proud to be a strong supporter of T Level students. Our industry placements provide valuable exposure to our dedicated staff, diverse patient population and wide-ranging clinical experiences. Many of these students have successfully transitioned into employment with our Trust, and we actively support their progression through our degree apprenticeship programmes.”
Declan Russell is an Inspection Manager at Global Technologies Racing, and was full of praise for the development opportunities that T Levels provide for both employers and students:
“I am excited to contribute to the development of deserving, enthusiastic and aspiring individuals looking for a future in engineering. HSDC has provided us with exactly this, allowing both sides of the placement to get the best possible experience. I look forward to future years collaborating with the Engineering course at HSDC.”
A Word From Our Deputy Principal Suki Dhesi, HSDC’s Deputy Principal for Curriculum and Quality, is exceptionally proud of how T Levels have bolstered the College’s curriculum and improved the opportunities for our students: “This T Level Week is a powerful celebration of the success achieved by our students, staff and employer partners.
Achieving recognition as a Top Regional Provider is a testament to HSDC’s unwavering commitment to these qualifications. Our fantastic results speak volumes, demonstrating that T Levels genuinely prepare young people for what’s next. Seeing our students secure skilled employment, apprenticeships and university places is the ultimate payoff, proving that blending academic rigor with real-world experience is the future of technical education!”
For more information about studying a T Level at HSDC, please click here: https://www.hsdc.ac.uk/study-with-us/t-levels/
