Recommendation 21

The Department has identified four potential benefits associated with T Levels – progression to further study or skilled employment; students’ readiness for their chosen career; higher earnings than those studying other level 3 qualifications; and employers’ confidence in T Level graduates.65 The Department described that, as it would take time for T Levels to become established, this would impact progress and realisation of benefits.66 Anticipated benefits were particularly uncertain as T Levels had not been available for long, so student numbers were hard to estimate and data on their subsequent earnings was not yet available.67 The Department noted that through being introduced in 2020, T Levels were brand new compared to A levels that have been around for 74 years. It described how a conscious decision for other qualifications to be currently offered alongside T Levels would make it more challenging to establish the programme.68