This T-levels Week, let’s commit to unlocking the potential of all our young people
4 min read
As we heard in the Prime Minister’s party conference speech, increasing the esteem of technical careers is deeply personal to him, particularly given his father’s story. The same goes for me.
In a previous job working as a lecturer in further education, I saw first-hand how access to high quality technical education can transform lives and open doors. Even today it’s an issue that’s, literally, close to home, with my wife about to begin her a career in midwifery but helped on the way to university by our local FE college.
That path: to a secure, well-paid job, in your own community, is one that many more young people want to tread. Yet tragically, many in communities such as mine in Bishop Auckland have previously felt that the only way they can get on is by moving out: first to university then to work in London or another big city.
High-quality technical education and apprenticeships, available nearby and supported by local businesses, is the key to breaking this cycle. By ensuring young people can train, qualify, and thrive in the places they grew up, we strengthen our local economies and allow talent to stay rooted in communities right across the country.
That is why T-levels matter. These full-time, two-year courses at 16, combine classroom study with real-world industry placements. Designed with employers, they give young people the skills, knowledge, and hands-on experience needed for apprenticeships, further study, or skilled jobs. Introduced in 2020, there are now 21 T-level courses being delivered by hundreds of providers across the length and breadth of England.
This week, from 13–17 October, we have been celebrating T-levels Week, designed to raise awareness of the qualification among students and employers, and celebrate the achievements of those delivering and studying them.
Across the North East, T-levels are already powering the industries of the future. At Tyne Coast College, students on the Building Services Engineering for Construction T-level are gaining the skills needed to help meet the government’s target of 1.5 million new homes, with the greatest uplift required in the North.
These are the future nurses, engineers, digital technicians, and educators who will power our economy
At Gateshead College, the Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control T-level is preparing students to lead the region’s clean energy revolution, while at NCG Newcastle, the Digital Support Services T-level is providing the expertise to help modernise and scale-up our nation’s defences.
Just recently in my own constituency, I had the opportunity to meet with T-level students at Bishop Auckland College, whose passion and determination were truly inspiring. Their stories show what can be achieved when we give young people the chance to combine learning with hands-on industry experience. These are the future nurses, engineers, digital technicians, and educators who will power our economy and deliver excellent public services for decades to come.
I’m delighted that other Parliamentary colleagues are taking the opportunity to visit T-level providers in their own constituencies during and around T-levels Week and see for themselves just how transformative these qualifications are.
It’s also why I so strongly welcomed the announcements made by the Prime Minister at conference on technical education and apprenticeships, setting out the clear ambition that two-thirds of young people will gain high-level qualifications by the age of 25, whether through university, further education, or a gold standard apprenticeship. Backed by £800m in additional funding for 16–19 education and a plan to establish new technical excellence colleges, this sends a clear signal that the government is serious about backing the skills that are vital to our future prosperity.
There is then no better time to celebrate the successes of T-levels and look forward with optimism to how they can continue to help deliver the skills revolution our country needs.
In the months ahead, my colleagues and I on the APPG will continue working closely with government, industry, and education providers to champion these qualifications, listen to the experiences of students and employers, and help improve access.
We’re also keen to hear from parliamentary colleagues across party divides about how T-levels are being delivered in their areas, including any barriers and challenges which government still needs to address.
In a time where there’s so much talk of political division, let’s come together behind a shared commitment to ensuring all our young people can gain vital skills, and embark on well-paid and rewarding careers, wherever they come from. This is vital not only to young people’s individual futures, but to our collective future, because the truth is – and I hear it every time I meet with business and industry leaders – Britain is being held back by a lack of skilled workforce. T-levels and work placements and are important part of the answer.
Sam Rushworth is the Labour MP for Bishop Auckland and chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on T-Levels
