What are the advantages of T Levels? We asked our students!
Deciding what to do when you finish school can be tough. With options such as apprenticeships, A Levels and vocational courses, it can be tricky to figure out which one is right for you.
Of all the qualifications, T Levels are the new kid on the block. Introduced just two years ago, T Levels feature a mix of classroom-based learning and work experience to provide you with the skills you need for future employment.
Having only been around for a short time, you may not be aware of all the things a T Level has to offer you. So we spoke to two of Harrogate College’s Digital and IT students, Adrian and Claire, and asked them: what are the advantages of T Levels?
The course offers a blend of different learning styles
Whichever T Level you take, you’ll spend 80% of the course in the classroom and the other 20% on a meaningful industry placement. For Adrian, the varied learning style has been a great way to develop and master certain skills, before putting them to the test.
He said, “The best thing about the T Level is the mixture of theory and practical learning. I like to learn the basics so that I can then put it all into practice when doing work experience.”
On Adrian’s Digital and IT course, he’s had the opportunity to work with a regional IT provider, which he says has helped deepen his understanding of how we use digital technologies to analyse and solve problems.
You can specialise in your favourite subject
For people who already know what they want their future to look like, having to take so many options at GCSE can be frustrating. If this sounds like you, then T Levels could be your one-way ticket to specialising in something you love.
Claire’s passion has always been IT, and so she was delighted to find out there was a way she could focus on it full time.
She said, “I’ve always been interested in information technology, especially programming. So when one of my tutor’s told me about this T Level, I knew it would be perfect for me.
“So far I’ve had the chance to learn about a variety of areas, including internet networks, security and programming, which is still my favourite. There are so many different aspects of IT that I’d never even heard of, so taking this course has been great to expand my horizons.”
Outside of college, Claire gets to use what she’s learned to advance her coding skills, which she likes to do whilst listening to Taylor Swift.
They prepare you for the next step, whatever that may be
All T Level courses have been designed in collaboration with employers, to ensure that you get the skills you need to enter straight into employment.
But what if, like Adrian and Claire, you’re thinking about university? The good news is that taking a T Level will not stop you progressing onto further education.
Adrian said, “my main goal is to get a place at university to study computer science. I think that my T Level will help me get there, as the skills that I will develop throughout the course and work experience will help me a lot.”
Claire added, “I think that my T Level will help me get to university as not only does it help me understand useful subjects, the independent learning aspect allows me to be versatile and a better version of myself.”
In fact, as many as 130 UK universities have confirmed that T Levels will be suitable for entry on to at least one of their courses.
So, how do our students rate their T Level?
Adrian: “I would rate it 8/10. It is definitely a big improvement from the course that I did last year, and I’m hoping by the end of the year that score will continue to improve.”
Claire: “I would rate it 9/10 because everyday you get to learn new things and absorb knowledge which helps you in building your future.”
High praise indeed!
If you enjoyed reading about Claire and Adrian’s experiences, visit our T Levels page to find more about studying T Level at Harrogate College