Keen to explore different ways of reaching a widening talent pool for your early in career hires? T Levels may be just what you are looking for.
T Levels are an alternative to A levels and other further education courses. Equivalent to 3 A levels, a T Level focuses on vocational skills and can help students into employment, higher education or apprenticeships. Each T Level includes an in-depth industry placement that lasts at least 45 days, so students spend 80% of their course in the classroom and 20% in the workplace.
Join us as we discuss:
- What are T Levels?
- How can they support employers to get early access to talent?
- Why are they good for social mobility?
- Where can employers find out more?
Speakers and Panellists:
- Alun Francis, Principal of Oldham College, Deputy Chair of Social Mobility Commission and T Level Ambassador
- Catherine Sezen, Interim Director of Education Policy, Association of Colleges
- Anne Ashworth, Head of Early Talent, Pearson plc
- Dudley College of Technology
Our panel includes an employer who has already placed T Level students into their businesses, and a provider of T Levels who has placed multiple students into workplace settings – they will provide insight into how you too can benefit from bringing a young person into your workplace through this route, and how it can help you build a pipeline of talent for you and your industry.
About our speakers
Alun Francis OBE, Deputy Chair of the Social Mobility Commission and Principal and Chief Executive of Oldham College
During his time at Oldham College, it has been redeveloped with an investment of over £45m, with
new facilities to support technical education from entry to degree level. The college has
developed a reputation for strong teaching and learning, and has won a number of prestigious awards for its Teaching for Distinction CPD programme and its provision for special needs learners. It was nominated Further Education (FE) College of the Year at the 2019 TES Awards and in 2020 for innovation around remote learning.
Prior to joining the college Alun had a varied career in local government, regeneration, youth work and education, including primary, secondary and higher education.
Alun has a strong interest in the economics of what is now referred to as “levelling up” and sees FE colleges in general and Oldham College in particular as having a critical role to play in addressing this challenge. He is a T Level Ambassador for the National T Level Network that supports Government (DfE) in the promotion of T Levels.
He received an Order of the Order of the British Empire for service to education in the 2021 New Year’s Honours List.
Catherine Sezen, Interim Director Education Policy, Association of Colleges
Catherine joined the Association of Colleges (AoC) in June 2015 after working in further education for 14 years as a teacher and manager for 14-16 partnership provision including careers, LLDD foundation programmes, English and maths and was 14-19 strategic lead.
Catherine is currently working on the implications of the Sainsbury review of technical education, Skills Plan, T Levels, T level Transition Programme and qualification reform.
The AoC – a not-for-profit membership organisation established in 1996 by colleges, for colleges – is the national voice for further education, sixth form, tertiary and specialist colleges.
Anne Ashworth, Head of Employee Apprenticeships, Pearson Plc
Anne was educated mostly in Scotland and became an apprentice with the UKAEA Dounreay on leaving school. This was the foundation of the career she really wanted with the WRNS. From the WRNS she went into teaching and has over 30 years’ experience and expertise working in the FE and Skills Sector. She became an inspector in 1999 and then ran her own successful consultancy company for over 40 years supporting quality improvement in the sector.
Anne has worked for Pearson as Head of Employee Apprenticeships for 5 years and in addition is a Liveryman with the Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers. She is a T level and Apprentice Ambassador as part of the National Network that supports Government in the promotion of apprenticeships.
Pearson’s purpose is to add life to a lifetime of learning. They believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. Their c.20,000 Pearson employees are committed to creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. They are the world’s leading learning company, serving customers in nearly 200 countries with digital content, assessments, qualifications, and data.
Bernadette Turner, Head of Learning, Dudley College of Technology
Bernadette is Head of Learning at Dudley college, where she’s worked for 18 years in a variety of roles. She has a true passion for sector-based training within education and her experience pans across the private and public sector within nurseries and schools.
With Dudley college being a first wave provider within T levels, Bernadette has led and supported teams for Early Years, Assisted Teaching and Health. She has been involved in the ETF training programmes and completed TRIP programmes offering other colleges support on curriculum planning, design and development. She was also involved in the development of the Early Years and assisted teaching Hodder textbook.
Bernadette will be sharing how they support employers with T Level students and how you too could benefit from engaging with your local further education college to find your next early-in-career candidate(s).