Education explained

T levels

Get the most out of T Levels

Enhance your understanding of T Levels and their benefits for businesses, discover how employers in England can engage with T Levels as a recruitment channel, and access best practice case studies.

What are T Levels?

Two-year, technical qualifications developed with industry experts

T Levels are developed in collaboration with businesses to equip students with essential sector skills by combining classroom learning and extended industry placements for a blend of technical knowledge and practical experience.

Introduced in September 2021 for Construction & Building Services Engineering and in September 2022 for Engineering & Manufacturing, T Levels are the primary technical qualification for 16 to 19-year-olds in England after GCSEs, alongside apprenticeships and A Levels.

T Levels often lead to skilled employment, apprenticeships, further qualifications, or higher education opportunities.

What are the benefits of T Levels for businesses?

Taking T Level students into your business should be part of your long-term skills strategy as it can:

Develop your pipeline of future apprentices or interns
Build skills and knowledge in your team
Enhance your company reputation in the local area
Ensure diversity of age, ethnicity and gender in your workforce
Increase existing staff experience of mentoring young people
Bring new ideas into your business from the next generation.

Level 3 apprenticeships versus T Levels

Level 3 Apprenticeships and T Levels are both options available for students in England moving on from GCSEs. They are also both equivalent to three A Levels and widely accepted by universities and other further education providers across the UK.

One of the main differences between these two qualifications is that while they are both aligned to the same standards, apprenticeships are occupation-specific while T Levels are broader.

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	T Levels	Level 3 apprenticeship
Why we think you should do it?	Develop your pipeline of future apprentices or interns and influence their decision about which occupation to specialise in.	Develop a talent with the skills that are specific to your business.
Time on the job	A minimum of 315 hours (45 days).	A maximum of 80% of normal working hours, with a minimum of 20% being study.
Wages	No.	Yes – you are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for your normal working hours, training that’s part of your apprenticeship and study towards English and maths qualifications, if they’re part of your apprenticeship.
Employment status	Not an employee.	Employee entitled to holiday pay and other employee rights.
Entry requirements	Similar to A Levels - at least five or six GCSEs with grades 9-4.	Down to the employer – usually you are asked to send a CV, which includes your GCSE grades, and covering letter and may even be interviewed.
Assessment type	Two final exams, one on the key knowledge of the subject and the other on working in the sector. These two papers make up two thirds of the final grade. The other third is decided by an employer-set project.	An independent end-point assessment organisation will set several tasks to be completed and marked externally. Usually, this involves both a practical exam and sometimes a multiple-choice test as well. There will also be a project to complete in the workplace setting and there may even be an interview, presentation, or both.

	T Levels	Level 3 apprenticeship
Why we think you should do it?	Develop your pipeline of future apprentices or interns and influence their decision about which occupation to specialise in.	Develop a talent with the skills that are specific to your business.
Time on the job	A minimum of 315 hours (45 days).	A maximum of 80% of normal working hours, with a minimum of 20% being study.
Wages	No.	Yes – you are entitled to the National Minimum Wage for your normal working hours, training that’s part of your apprenticeship and study towards English and maths qualifications, if they’re part of your apprenticeship.
Employment status	Not an employee.	Employee entitled to holiday pay and other employee rights.
Entry requirements	Similar to A Levels - at least five or six GCSEs with grades 9-4.	Down to the employer – usually you are asked to send a CV, which includes your GCSE grades, and covering letter and may even be interviewed.
Assessment type	Two final exams, one on the key knowledge of the subject and the other on working in the sector. These two papers make up two thirds of the final grade. The other third is decided by an employer-set project.	An independent end-point assessment organisation will set several tasks to be completed and marked externally. Usually, this involves both a practical exam and sometimes a multiple-choice test as well. There will also be a project to complete in the workplace setting and there may even be an interview, presentation, or both.

FAQs about T Levels

How does a T Level work?

A T Level is split into three main sections:

A technical qualification (TQ), which includes core theory, concepts, and skills for an industry area
An industry placement of a minimum of 315 hours (45 days) with an employer, giving students practical sights and an opportunity to embed the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom
English, maths, and digital provision are also built into the classroom-based element of the T Level, meaning students will be given a solid foundation of transferable skills.

What T Levels are available in relation to the engineering and manufacturing sector, and related industries?

T Levels were introduced in September 2021 for Construction & Building Services Engineering and September 2022 for Engineering & Manufacturing as the main technical qualification options for 16 to 19-year-old students.

Construction & Building Services Engineering T Levels:

T Level Technical Qualification in Building Services Engineering for Construction (8710)
T Level Technical Qualification in Onsite Construction (8711).

Engineering & Manufacturing T Levels:

T Level Technical Qualification in Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing (8714)
T Level Technical Qualification in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing (8712)
T Level Technical Qualification in Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control (8713).

Who is the awarding organisation and EPA organisation for T Levels for the engineering and manufacturing sector, and related industries?

City & Guilds, in collaboration with EAL, was chosen as the delivery partner for the first generation of Engineering & Manufacturing and Construction & Building Services Engineering T Level technical qualifications by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), and the Department for Education (DfE). These licences were granted until September 2026 for Construction & Building Services Engineering and September 2027 for Engineering & Manufacturing.

EAL, in collaboration with WJEC, has been chosen as the delivery partner from September 2026 for Construction & Building Services Engineering and from September 2027 for Engineering & Manufacturing by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), and the Department for Education (DfE).

Where can I find information on course content for Construction & Building Services Engineering and Engineering & Manufacturing T Levels?

Course outlines and updates for the following can be found on the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) website.

Construction & Building Services Engineering T Levels:

T Level Technical Qualification in Building Services Engineering for Construction (8710)
T Level Technical Qualification in Onsite Construction (8711).

Engineering & Manufacturing T Levels:

T Level Technical Qualification in Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing (8714)
T Level Technical Qualification in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing (8712)
T Level Technical Qualification in Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control (8713).

Where can I find local schools and colleges who provide T Levels?

You can find local schools and colleges who provide T Levels on the government T Levels and industry placement support for employers webpage.

Where can I find out more information about offering an industry placement to a T Level student?

You can find out more information about offering an industry placement to a T Level student on the government how industry placements work webpage.

Where can I find out more information for schools and colleges about providing T Levels?

You can find out more information for schools and colleges about providing T Levels on the government T Levels: guidance for providers webpage.

Bodies and organisations

Find out about the bodies responsible for approving, regulating and funding T Levels in England, and the national delivery partners for T Levels in England.

Bodies

Skills England will unite government, businesses, training providers and unions to meet the skills needs of the next decade, providing strategic oversight of the post-16 skills system aligned to the government’s Industrial Strategy.

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IfATE works with employers in England to develop, approve, review and revise apprenticeships and technical qualifications.

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The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual) is a non-ministerial department that regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England.

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The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) is an executive agency sponsored by the Department for Education (DfE) responsible for funding education and skills providers in England.

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Organisations

City & Guilds, in collaboration with EAL, has been chosen as the delivery partner for new Engineering & Manufacturing, and Construction & Building Services Engineering T Level technical qualifications by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE), and the Department for Education (DfE).

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Engineering Accreditation Limited (EAL) is a specialist skills partner for the engineering and manufacturing sector. It collaborates with employers, training providers, and educational institutions to develop training programmes and qualifications tailored to industry needs.

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Eduqas, which is part of WJEC, is one the largest providers of qualifications for schools, academies, sixth form and further education colleges in England, offering valued qualifications to suit a range of abilities. Each and every qualification is carefully designed to stimulate students and to equip them for the next stage of their lives.

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