College makes history with pioneering courses

East Sussex College is proud to be one of the first providers of new T-Level courses, the next level qualification in Further Education (FE)

Brand new T-Level courses launched this month, with Construction-based subject Design, Surveying and Planning, Computing-based subject Digital Production, Design and Development, and Childcare-based subject Education & Childcare offered at the Eastbourne, Station Plaza, and Ore Valley campuses.

Students can choose this new pathway as an alternative to A-Levels or BTEC vocational courses. T-Levels are equivalent to three A-Levels and are unique in that 80% of the course is classroom based learning and 20% is in the workplace. A huge appeal of the course is the work placement, which sees students spend at least 45 days with an employer.

Tutors are geared up to deliver these pioneering courses and feedback from class groups has been positive so far.

Sanders Bataille 17, from Eastbourne, has just started the Design, Surveying & Planning T-Level at ESC in Eastbourne. He says, “I want to be an architect and this new T-Level will help me better understand the world of construction. After this course I hope to progress to Higher Education.”

The coronavirus pandemic made a number of students rethink their plans for further education. Jay Hainge, 16, from Uckfield, was looking at apprenticeships. He says, “Covid-19 happened and made me rethink my plans as there were no suitable apprenticeships about. I started looking at courses and the T-Level really appealed to me.”

Bethany Denne, 16, from St. Leonards-on-Sea, also joined the Construction T-Level pathway at ESC in Eastbourne. Talking about the course she says, “I want to do a Higher Apprenticeship in Architecture after college and feel this T-Level will give me the right skills.”

Dan Shelley, Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships & Engagement at ESC, says: “Students have more choices than ever before on the level they can study on in Further Education. We have seen the value of apprentices grow over the last five years, with the previous stigma removed. Rising university fees and uncertain job prospects since the recession in 2008, followed by Brexit and now Covid-19, means students are taking action to secure their future in the workplace. The delivery of T-Levels consists of classroom and workplace learning, which also suits a huge number of young adults.

“When we think along the lines of social media and the constantly developing digital industries, students who are currently exploring their GCSE options and are a few years away from FE, may have jobs in the future that don’t even exist yet. Workplace learning like T-Levels helps the employer develop a role and mould a student to suit their workforce.”

David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges (AOC), told MPs on the education select committee that “everyone needs to get behind T-Levels because we need really good high-status technical education for young people with a sense of a broad programme which helps young people to develop a broad range of skills for their whole career.”

The courses have been designed with leading employers, meaning students are learning the knowledge and skills most valued by employers.

Following their T-Level course, students will be well equipped for university, a higher apprenticeship or the workplace.

The college is one of only 50 colleges nationwide to offer these new qualifications, and will be adding two new subjects in Health and Onsite Construction in 2021.