Walsall College team up with employers to deliver new construction T Level

A new qualification to help school leavers pursue a career in construction is being launched by Walsall College. The T Level in Construction, Design, Surveying and Planning is equivalent to three A Levels and available to study from September 2020.

A new qualification equivalent to 3 A levels” or “80% of the students time will be in the classroom, 20% on a work placement

An introduction event about the qualification is taking place at the college (The Hub) on Wednesday 13 November from 6pm-8pm.

Representatives from the college and employers will provide an overview of the two-year programme, which involves students spending 80% of their time in the classroom and 20% on an industry placement of 315 hours, equivalent to 45 days. Students can then progress on to university level study or a higher-level apprenticeship.

Jatinder Sharma OBE, Principal and CEO at Walsall College said: “We encourage all Year 10 and 11 students aspiring to work in construction and the built environment to look at how the T Level will give them a promising career start.

Progress onto a career in construction, an apprenticeship or university

He continued: “T Levels have been developed by education providers and employers, which means they are highly job-focussed. The Construction T Level has a particular emphasis on careers in architectural design, traditional and digital surveying and project management. Working with employers, we will be able to involve students in major local infrastructure projects so that they are more capable and confident about the world of work going forward.”

Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands said: “High quality technical education across the West Midlands is an essential part of being able to achieve and sustain our record economic growth. With that in mind I am delighted that our region will be home to some of the first new T Levels, qualifications which are designed to deliver the technical education young people need to start their careers.

The classroom element of the T Level will be delivered at Walsall Colleges brand new Digital Engineering Skills Centre

“One sector in particular that will benefit from T Levels is construction, with 50,000 more skilled workers needed by 2030. Walsall College will be amongst the first to offer the T Level in Construction, and I am delighted that Government has once again trusted our region to deliver.”

To register for the Construction T Level Event visit www.walsallcollege.ac.uk/events