Bringing together key employer groups at a recent meeting the CCATF and City & Guilds initiated an open forum discussion that brought into focus the key underpinning attributes of the planned T Level approach along with a series of recommendations.
Mark Farmer, CCATF Member and author of ‘Modernise or Die’ participated in the round table discussion and commented “The careers narrative is not strong enough. It needs to be broader and it needs to look towards the future.”
Speaking about the session and the resultant document, CCATF Chairman, Martyn Price, MBE commented “T Levels offer a new way of thinking that the construction industry needs to understand and develop meaningful ways of realising the potential from.
Price continued “the skills shortage in the UK, and construction specifically requires us to look at all and any ways of developing young people and filling what could become large gaps in the skills arena. Our work in creating this document is aimed at supporting our goal of being a voice for the construction sector, representing, as the CCATF does, the views of leading industry figures and organisations in the development of meaningful, progressive interventions that make a tangible and positive difference”.
The importance of this document cannot be understated. Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for Education, when launching T-Levels said “We are transforming technical education in this country, developing our home-grown talent so that our young people have the world class skills and knowledge that employers need.
As we prepare to leave the EU, it is more important than ever that we create an outstanding further education and skills system, giving all young people the opportunity to fulfil their potential and deliver a better future for our country.
As part of making sure that the technical education ladder reaches every bit as high as the academic one, I want to see T levels that are as rigorous and respected as A levels.
Each route groups together related occupations which require common knowledge, skills and behaviours. These routes are further broken down into a number of specialisms, clustered together in a straightforward way so that young people can see a clear path to the occupation of their choice.
The content of T levels will be developed by newly appointed panels comprising industry professionals and employers – including EDF, Rolls Royce, Fujitsu, Lloyds, Morgan Sindall, Skanska and Morphy Richards – ensuring that they have real credibility. The Government is today confirming that panels have been launched across all 6 routes for delivery in 2020 and 2021.
All T level programmes will also include a substantial, high quality work placement so that students can apply their learning in a real workplace environment.
A copy of the CCATF/City & Guilds collaboration: T-Levels – Shaping skills for the future of the construction industry – can be found by clicking on the link below
