Hopes and Concerns for Digital T-Levels: A Preliminary Study

T-Levels have been heralded as the new gold standard of UK technical education. However, little research has explored how providers are finding the delivery of this new qualification. This paper reports on the findings of a preliminary study which interviews nine employees from three college providers of the digital T-Level. Findings indicate that there are five main areas of concern; a lack of suitable ’digital’ work placements, the appropriateness of assessments, content being too cutting edge, a lack of awareness, and the termination of government funding. However, providers are optimistic of the benefits T-Levels can provide. This paper contributes to the limited body of research on T-Levels, and highlights the challenges which providers, employers and policy makers may find beneficial to know in helping improve future T-Level adoption and delivery.