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T Levels are a new qualification offered as an equal alternative to completing three A Levels. The two-year courses have been developed in collaboration with businesses and employers so that the programme meets industry needs and effectively prepares students for the world of work. Not only will they receive classroom learning, they will also gain on-the-job experience through an industry placement of at least 315 hours.

The courses are expected to be rolled out to colleges in September this year covering 25 subject areas, including: animal care and management, hair, beauty and aesthetics, as well as legal, and onsite construction. They present great opportunities for those who wish for a clear trajectory into their careers, but questions about the readiness of T Levels are circulating amongst colleges and education providers.

The main benefit to students is the compulsory work placement taken alongside their studies as it presents a chance to gain first-hand experience in their chosen career, which they may not otherwise have access to. Students will not only have the learning experience A Levels offer but will also be able to implement what they study in a real work environment. Work experience is all the more important in pursuing a career and to introduce this at an early age is a unique opportunity, especially because the industry placements are significantly longer than traditional work experience.

However, there are a few challenges which need to be ironed out before September. This includes the availability of work for students in rural and coastal areas of the country where placements are limited. This can make it difficult to accommodate everyone who wishes to undertake a T Level course, especially if businesses in the area are small or transport links are inadequate.  Consequently, the issue creates an unfair advantage for students who live in populated cities or areas, meaning that the government needs to ensure that everyone who undertakes the T Level course is provided with a work placement matched with their desired subject. They are yet to announce how they are going to achieve this, and with the new course set to be introduced this year, it is important that these concerns are resolved as soon as possible.

Nonetheless, the prospect of a work placement presents benefits for employers as well as students as it gives them the chance to ensure that young people are developing the skills, behaviours and knowledge that their industry needs. The work placement also brings new ideas to the table; provides extra resources for businesses; develops employees’ management skills, especially with younger people; and aids recruitment for entry-level jobs.

This is greatly valuable for businesses and students alike, but it ignores a crucial concern: there is no guarantee that employers will use T Levels for additional employment in the first place, despite its benefits. Industry placements are a major ask and employers are still becoming accustomed to the requirements of the levy and the associated apprenticeship reforms. Many are also being bombarded with uncoordinated requests from schools, colleges and universities to provide work experience opportunities for their students. Therefore, there is no guarantee that businesses, no matter how limited they are in the area, will agree to offer extra work to T Level students. Ensuring that everyone who enrols onto a T Level course receives the renowned work placement is a much bigger challenge than it initially seems, and the government needs to set out how they can ensure that it is overcome.

Young people may also refrain from taking T Levels if its reputation is not seen as equal to A Levels. It is important that they are considered to be as respectable as each other, but two different routes: academic and vocational. This would allow students who are not suited to the academic route to still receive the same level of opportunity in the future. The work placement is a great reflection of this as it is not a compulsory part of A Levels and therefore gives students a different set of skills. When T Levels were announced, the government used terminology such as the ‘high quality work placement’ and students ‘successfully completing a work placement¹. Such language helps to build the desired reputation of T Levels and suggests that they will be of high standard.

Nevertheless, this creates a considerable amount of ambiguity as there needs to be clarification on what constitutes a ‘high quality’ and ‘successful’ work placement. This would allow colleges and businesses to meet a clear standard for students and allow them to become adequately prepared for the working world after their course. Doing so would make the new qualification all the more desirable to potential students as it sets out exactly what they will receive from their enrolment.

This also needs to be reflected in what opportunities are offered to students once they have completed their course. Clearly, T Levels provide a strong trajectory of development for future careers and the new qualification can equip students with valuable connections and skills to go into employment. However, questions have arisen surrounding those who may not wish to go directly into employment and would rather further their studies through higher education.

Universities UK, ‘the voice of universities’, says that they are ‘generally supportive of the government’s reforms to technical education’². In addition, some of the providers that FE Week spoke to have welcomed the allocation of UCAS points for T Levels. This would allow assessment results to be used in support of future applications for higher education courses, if desired³. However, Universities UK still holds some reservations about whether students will be given ‘sufficient information, advice and guidance to allow them to make well-informed education choices’⁴.

Additionally, universities have been given the freedom to decide whether they would like to accept the qualifications at all. Russell Group universities have already expressed reservations and are questioning the types of courses T Level students can progress onto⁵. This could impact the decisions other universities make about T Levels, meaning a university degree may not be an easy option for students who chose to undertake them. Consequently, this could create an inferior reputation for the new qualification, putting its popularity at risk.

T Levels are set to be a widely respected qualification of which colleges and education providers are showing great enthusiasm for. The industry placement is an especially unique selling point which can prove advantageous for both the students and employers. But despite the qualifications’ immense potential, there are still a few problems which need to be ironed out by the government. It needs to be made clear what the qualification will provide all students with, not just those with an abundance of businesses to choose from. Universities also need to start stating whether they would consider T Levels as an entry requirement and if so, for which courses, to allow students to make well-informed decisions before September.

Once this has happened, T Levels will present a great opportunity for many students across the country and reflect a clear effort to adapt to the needs of those within younger generations who do not feel that A Levels are the correct route for them.

 

¹ T Levels Industry Placements: Update on delivery models and support, May 2019

² Universities UK T Levels Consultation Response, 2018

³ FE Week: T Levels: positive preparations continue but challenged remain, December 2019

⁴ Universities UK T Levels Consultation Response, 2018

⁵ iNews: Russell Group universities cast doubt on whether they will accept T-Levels, September

For decades, the further education sector has considered how to develop the reputation of the vocational route (such as apprenticeships and jobs) so they are perceived as equal in respectability to the academic route (university). Although the vocational route is becoming all the more popular as an alternative to a higher education degree, there are many misconceptions surrounding apprenticeships. Research shows that 11% of young people believe apprenticeships have a bad reputation for being low skilled, and 53% said they had never considered one¹.

This is despite highly-regarded industries, such as banking, engineering and legal, currently offering young people the chance to undertake a paid, full-time career immediately after they leave school or college. Such opportunities seem to be a reflection of how the economic climate is growing in favour of those who pursue work experience over university qualifications, as less than a third of job roles are expected to be graduate positions by 2022². Although these offers are increasing, research by City and Guilds shows that over two-thirds of young people are planning on going to university, with a third of those not knowing what they will study³. So why do we, as a society, place so much importance on the prestige of a degree rather than learning on-the-job experience, even if the economic climate suggests otherwise?

University does come with many benefits, which is not just about employability, including: in-depth study of an academic subject; the opportunity to pursue a career in research; higher graduate salaries in certain industries; learning to become independent; as well as cultural and social familiarities. The academic route does give young people a different set of experiences for their progression, but this does not necessarily make it superior. A key objective of apprenticeships and initial employment is to shape young people into skilled workers for the economy and their respective industry. On the other hand, a higher education degree can provide students with a set of strong transferable skills for a range of careers, whilst also maintaining an established knowledge of their subject.

Additionally, the social and cultural value applied to formal education does not seem to be as applicable to vocational routes. But this is something the government has been working to change during the last few years. There have been huge strides in reforming apprenticeship programmes since 2006, when the Leitch Review was created to boost apprenticeships to 500,000 a year, which the Government has now increased to 3 million by the end of this year. Since then, there have been drastic funding changes, including a £25 million Higher Apprenticeship Fund in 2011, and new minimum standards which mean low-level courses cannot be labelled as an apprenticeship.

As a result, a variation of qualification counterparts has been made available, and so people can now complete apprenticeships equivalent to 5 GCSE’s all the way up to a degree. Apprenticeships have become all the more respectable as they are accessible to people of a variety of ages and skills, which can give unprecedented opportunities to those who wish to undertake them. This change in standard and opportunity can most clearly be seen in employers’ views as in 2014, 82% of those surveyed said they were satisfied with the apprenticeship programme, but that figure has since increased to 90%⁴. In fact, the experience employees gain from completing apprenticeships is held in high regard by many businesses, some even more so than degrees. Those who opt to study for a level 5 higher apprenticeship will earn an average of £1.5million during the course of their career, almost £52,000 more than graduates from non-elite universities⁵.            

That being said, both methods of study are sought after by employers. University is valued for the transferable skills and in-depth knowledge it provides, while apprenticeships are respected for their practical nature and real-life work experience opportunities. An increasing number of organisations are offering apprenticeship schemes as they begin to view this method of training as a viable alternative to a university degree. Nonetheless, educated graduates are in high demand and this trend is set to continue in the foreseeable future.

The best route is generally dependent on the person and their aspirations: does their desired career require a university degree? Does that person enjoy studying and research or are they more practical and hands-on? There is no right or wrong decision and so it is important that colleges make students aware that both options are as viable as each other, enforcing the fact that a university degree may not be suited to every student despite the prestigious weight it holds.

 

¹Investors in People: What do young people really think about apprenticeships

²The Guardian: What is better for job prospects: university of apprenticeships?

³City and Guilds: Great Expectations – Teenagers’ career aspirations versus the reality of the UK jobs market

⁴The Open University: The changing face of apprenticeships

⁵Prospects Should I go to university or do an apprenticeship?

Expectations of the recruitment experience are evolving. Years ago, many recruiters and hiring managers had the upper hand when selecting talent and now candidates hold the power during the job search in today’s candidate driven market. The Guardian states; ‘In the fight for survival against squeezed budget and increasing competition, colleges are getting more innovative.’1 Institutions are starting to treat candidates as customers instead of applicants needing employment.

To ensure your college is ready for the new world of work, here are five recruitment tactics and trends to look out for in 2020.

1. Candidate experience

One of the foremost trends in 2020 is enhancing the candidate experience, defined by the feelings, behaviours and attitudes fostered by jobseekers during the recruitment process. With this in mind, there are three key components for your college to consider; creating a consumer-grade experience throughout the application process, developing an approach that aligns with your organisation’s culture and tailoring messages for your target audience.

One of the world’s leading digital travel companies Booking.com has taken candidate focused content to a new level; ‘Candidates can explore career options and watch videos introducing their prospective teammates, check out a day in the life at various offices, and even learn about how certain product decisions were made.’ 2 In this candidate driven market, giving an insight into the company’s culture and values should result in higher numbers of applications, job offers and re-application rates. On the other hand, a poor candidate experience can be detrimental, resulting in a high applicant drop off rate throughout the recruitment process.

2. Employer brand

An employer’s reputation and employee value proposition are becoming increasingly important factors for candidates when deciding whether to apply for a vacancy. Companies are finding new ways to showcase their achievements, values and culture to raise awareness of their brand and generate applications. LinkedIn has even found that ‘75% of job seekers consider an employer’s brand before even applying for a job.’3 Colleges and institutions with a weak employer brand may not only struggle to attract candidates, but to retain them. LinkedIn also states; ‘When your employer brand is strong, recruiters experience less friction introducing your company to talent.’ 4 This can result in more candidates applying for roles and receiving an interview.

3. Recruitment marketing

Recruitment marketing is a trend that is set to continue in 2020, demonstrating that companies are becoming more proactive in their efforts to nurture and attract talented candidates. Hire, the recruiting software by Google, states; companies should ‘use data to track the performance of your marketing efforts, and you’ll be able to make adjustments and improve your ability to attract and nurture job seekers over time’ 5 Organisations can then benefit from setting tangible recruitment goals and developing a deeper understanding of their audiences, to underpin impactful candidate attraction campaigns. More targeted campaigns will help to build a stronger employer brand, improve overall candidate experience and provide an opportunity to establish meaningful relationships. Colleges that adopt these recruiting practices are more likely to attract talented applicants when they need them the most.

4. Social media marketing

Recruiting through social media goes beyond posting jobs on your institution’s social media pages, it now offers so much more. Social media networks enable recruiters to proactively search for candidates, build relationships and encourage them to apply for vacant positions. Social media trends that will support this activity in 2020 are; using Instagram stories to showcase your college’s work and position the institution as an employer of choice. Colleges can then upload photos or videos without worrying about editing; it is in-the-moment storytelling. This should provide a positive and true reflection of the college for potential employees.

The second trend is utilising LinkedIn pages to share the story behind your institution’s brand with an engaged audience of prospective employees. This can include sharing thoughts about your services, leaders, team members, history and more. Colleges can use this content to raise their profile and showcase their culture, ethos and values.

Recently Facebook has turned its attention from still photos to videos. Marketers are highlighting that videos are the most prominent type of content on the social media platform. Marketing author for Buffer, Brian Peters mentioned; ‘when it comes to taking your Facebook strategy to the next level, there’s no better way to do so than through video content.’6 Whether your college chooses to share a video in an ad, a post or live streaming, this can result in higher levels of applications from potential candidates.

5. Recruiting with flexibility

A competitive market means that colleges could benefit from introducing a new hiring model in certain circumstances, to overcome the challenges brought about by skills shortages and restrictions on staffing budgets. The CIPD Flexible Working Report mentions; ‘It is important to make the case for employers to invest in creating more flexible working opportunities across their workforce, and to help in attracting people from different backgrounds and experiences.’7 Adopting this new hiring model will create more opportunities for short-term, mid-term and project based work, which could provide colleges with access to a larger talent pool and a more cost-effective recruitment solution in certain circumstances.

1The Guardian Online
2 Greenhouse Blog – 7 Companies with game-changing candidate experience – greenhouse.io/blog/7-companies-with-a-game-changing-candidate-experience
3 LinkedIn Business business.linkedin.com/content/dam/business/talent-solutions/global/en_us/c/pdfs/ultimate-list-of-employer-brand-stats.pdf
4 LinkedIn Blog – business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/employer-brand/2018/employer-branding
5 Hire by Google – hire.google.com
6 Social media today – www.socialmediatoday.com/news/10-expert-tips-to-improve-your-facebook-video-marketing/554182/
7 Flexible Working Report https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/flexible-working-business-case_tcm18-52768.pdf