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Professional Engineering spoke to Chris Platt, industry manager for engineering at global skills development organisation City & Guilds, about the opportunities T-levels provide, the demand for assessors, and how employers can nurture the skills they will need in future.
What opportunities do engineering T Levels provide for learners?
T-levels are level 3 qualifications equivalent to 3 A-levels, but what they also offer is workplace experience and practical skills. With an option of 13 occupational specialisms in engineering, a wide range of the industry is covered alongside the core content.
Potential progression routes include advanced and degree apprenticeships, degree study at university, or employment in the engineering sector.
What are some important requirements for people studying engineering T-levels?
Engineers tend to have strong analytical skills, applying maths and science to solve problems and improve people’s lives. However there is also a creative element in the design and manufacture of these solutions – a good eye for details and the ability to work with digital tools and technology is a must.
Are there enough people to mark the work done by students on engineering T-levels?
As the engineering sector promotes engineering qualifications more and more, we inevitably need more associates to support with assessment. It is great that more and more learners are wanting to study engineering, but we need the support of experts in the industry to get involved.
Should employers provide more support for engineering T Levels, to help meet industry’s skills requirements?
The T-level currently requires a 45-day work placement, so as T-levels grow and the number of learners choosing them increases, there will be a growing demand for more businesses to provide placements, and with larger cohorts.
Many further education colleges report that sourcing the work placements is a difficult task, particularly in rural areas, and the niche specialisms which learners are interested in.
How can employers be encouraged to take a more active role?
Employers can be active in T-levels through working with awarding organisations to help develop and validate the content and assessments in the courses, as well as providing placements. This gives businesses the chance to influence the next generation of engineers and ensure they are gaining the skills the sector needs.
The placement is also a fantastic opportunity to gauge your requirements for staffing, and test the waters for potential apprentices and employees. It is everyone's responsibility to help tackle the skills gap in the sector and a great development opportunity for staff who work with and mentor the learners.
What associate vacancies are available at City & Guilds?
Associate vacancies change all the time, and are demand-led, however we do have them in many different industry areas, not just engineering – so share with others you think may be interested. We also have lots of different roles, each of which has an individual role profile/ person specification. Do look carefully at the role summaries to ensure you have the skills, qualities that are needed.
How much time do the roles take up?
This is different role-to-role. Some roles are ad hoc, where work is offered and you select availability to complete this. Other roles have specific times of the year when key availability is needed, such as the T-levels and the technical qualifications, due to marking windows and service level agreements.
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Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.