The TLPD offer from the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has been commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) and developed with experts in collaboration with learning providers and employers, to support you.
Our offer is a rich mix of live online and face-to-face workshops, e-learning resources, mentoring, networking, and industry collaboration. At the core is a range of subject specific training which provides practical help to everyone involved in the planning and delivery of T Levels.
Are you delivering T Levels in a school? Take a look at the TLPD offer specifically for schools.
Your fully-funded TLPD support from the ETF consists of six key elements set out below.
Whether you’re new to teaching or an experienced technical teacher, our TLPD courses and events will help you to prepare for T Level delivery.
The regional teams at the ETF support providers to access relevant services and CPD programmes through high-quality information, advice and guidance. We also facilitate collaboration and networking to enable the sharing of challenges, solutions and innovation.
If you’re a T Level provider, you will have a named contact who will support your professional development during your T Level journey.
For more information about the regions and who to contact, please visit our regional teams page.
T Levels are new two-year technical programmes. Their primary purpose is to prepare students for entry into skilled employment, or higher-level technical study. The first three T Levels became available at selected colleges and schools (providers) across England in September 2020.
T Levels will suit students who want a course that will develop genuine occupational skills and give them a head-start in their careers. The level of demand will be higher in the Technical Qualification of T Levels compared to many current vocational qualifications because of the expected level of competence a student will need to demonstrate in the occupational specialism.
The Department for Education (DfE) wants there to be clearer and simpler high-quality options for students ready and able to study at level 3. T Levels and A Levels will be the courses of choice for those opting for classroom-based study, and apprenticeships for those seeking a work-based option.
Removing qualifications that overlap with T Levels and A Levels will ensure clarity for students and employers, and the DfE will consider carefully – through consultation – how such overlaps will be defined. It has not made decisions about the range of other qualifications that need to be available at level 3, but recognises there are concerns about the removal of funding for qualifications that are well established, including AGQs and Tech Levels, or which cover niche or specialist occupational areas.
Further details of T Levels are available in the DfE Introduction of T Levels guidance document.
The ETF has been supporting the delivery of T Levels since 2019 and was awarded a four-year contract in February 2020 to continue to support providers, leaders and practitioners to deliver the new courses.
The offer is shaped around the needs of the workforce alongside relevant regional, employer and curriculum requirements. Additionally, we utilise the expertise of employers, professional bodies, T Level panels and others that we work with, including some our key partners, for example, Association of Colleges, Association of School and College Leaders, FutureLearn and AlphaPlus.
To access the TLPD offer, or to view previous resources, you will need to create a profile or log in to the T Level Professional Development Platform (PDP).
For the purpose of data protection legislation, the Department for Education (DfE) is the data controller for the personal data processed as part of the T Level Professional Development Offer. Please read the privacy notice for more information.
All T Level Professional Development is offered at no charge to ESFA funded FE providers.
The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) has put in place a framework of governance to oversee the implementation of the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer.
This comprises three layers:
The Strategic Advisory Group (SAG) looks beyond the implementation of the TLPD offer and considers what TLPD success looks like in the wider FE context. The Group brings together key stakeholders with an interest in Further Education.
The SAG is comprised of a core group of around 14 stakeholder bodies, who have nominated individuals to attend on their behalf. These are:
Membership will be kept under review; additional invitations will be made where specific input and/or expertise is required.
In addition, as part of the continuing development of the TLPD offer, the ETF has established further groups to oversee the development of course content and ensure that it is relevant to current requirements and industry practice.
The External Assurance Group (EAG) keeps an overview of the T Level Professional Development offer. The Group has a key role in the review of systems design and implementation, including keeping oversight of and offering feedback on the entire model, across the curriculum design, development, delivery and review processes.
The EAG comprises a core group of individuals who have complementary skills, knowledge and expertise. Additional invitations will be made where specific input and/or expertise is required.
Expert Panels are in place to directly review the content of the individual route and course elements. Each Expert Panel meets during course creation and delivery and provides feedback and action plans as necessary.
The Expert Panels’ membership consists of subject-matter experts, practitioners, employers and professional bodies.
So far, Expert Panels have been established in the following areas:
Additional Expert Panels will be created during the development of CPD content for T Levels coming on stream in 2022 and beyond.
To help you promote T Levels, see the Department for Education’s (DfE) range of marketing materials, which includes T Level logos, social media images, high-resolution campaign images and brand and communication guidelines.
City & Guilds
City & Guilds is a global leader in skills development, providing services to training providers, employers, and trainees across various sectors to meet the needs of today’s workplace. Their qualifications and apprenticeships are valued by employers worldwide, helping individuals develop their talents and abilities for career progression.
Learn more about the T Level programmes they are delivering at cityandguilds.com/tlevels.