The government should increase the number of students taking T Levels, spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) has said.
But a trade body said the qualification will not take off in construction until builders have more profitable work pipelines.
In a new report released today (28 March), the NAO called for Whitehall to increase awareness of the technical qualification, which was introduced in September 2020, and boost the number of industry placements.
The report highlights how the Department for Education (DfE) initially overestimated student demand for T Levels in England.
Between 2020 and 2022, it expected 2,000 students to take the Building Services Engineering for Construction qualification, whereas just 983 actually enrolled.
It anticipated 2,100 people would take the Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction T level, when 1,675 actually did.
Just 305 students took on the Onsite Construction T level – which incorporated bricklaying, painting and decorating, plastering, and carpentry and joinery – in the period. It had been expected that 500 students would take the qualification.
In December 2024 it was announced that the onsite T level, introduced in 2021, would be scrapped due to insufficient demand.
The NAO said the department’s modelling had improved in recent years, and that there would always be uncertainty in gauging how much interest there would be in a new qualification.
The report also highlighted construction as one of the industries where there are challenges finding placements for students on the courses.
Educational providers supporting students through their qualifications will need to engage with employers more as the number of those taking T levels increases, it said.
The DfE allocates providers £550 per student to help plan and monitor industry placements, but acknowledges it costs businesses more than this to take on the students.
NAO head Gareth Davies said: “T Levels were developed to provide crucial qualifications and industry experience to students, allowing them to go on to further education or begin roles in skilled jobs.
“They have the potential to offer new opportunities for young people and address critical skills gaps across the economy.
“Although the Department for Education has made progress in delivering the wide range of courses available, efforts must be made to increase student numbers and realise all the potential benefits of T Levels.”
National Federation of Builders head of policy and market insight Rico Wojtulewicz said the body had welcomed T Levels as a way to ensure students were ready for work and to help challenge “the educational hierarchy which places academia above trade-related qualifications”.
“However, we always cautioned that construction businesses did not have stable or profitable enough work pipelines to sustain placements, ensure completions and ultimately retain those who qualify,” he told Construction News.
“Despite industry telling all governments about this fundamental reality, funding for learning continues to rise but barriers to a healthy construction industry, especially for SMEs who train most workers, are ignored.
“Unless this changes, T Level popularity and awareness will struggle to grow.”
During a discussion at Parliament’s Energy Security and Net Zero Committee on Wednesday, Engineering Construction Industry Training Board chief executive Andrew Hockey said that the many routes into the industry made knowing which way to go unclear for people wanting to get into work such as decarbonising homes.
“If you’re a young learner, you’re faced with quite a panoply of opportunities, it could be T levels in England, could be apprenticeships, other qualifications.
“I think the awareness and the perceived attractiveness of engineering careers could be improved. There could be more work done on that, we’re doing some ourselves. And I think the alignment between education and industry could be improved as well,” he said.
On Sunday (23 March), the government announced a £625m funding boost for skills in England, which it was later revealed would be worth £725m across the UK.
Construction Industry Training Board chief executive Tim Balcon told the same Energy Security and Net Zero Committee that some of the cash would go towards building better links between small businesses and further education providers.
A DfE spokesperson said the government was committed to T Levels, “a high-quality technical qualification which offers young people a great route into further study and a rewarding career”.
They added: “T Levels continue to grow, with nearly 60 per cent more young people taking them last year than in the previous year.
“Based on employer-designed standards and with a substantial industry placement on every course, T Levels will be important contributors to our mission to grow the economy under the Plan for Change.”
Read More
Ian Weinfass