Hilsea student marks completing T-levels at Havant and South Downs College at House of Lords event

To mark the first cohort of T-level students – qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds taken after GCSEs – finishing their courses, the Department for Education invited students past and present, as well as teachers, providers and employers for a celebratory event at the House of Lords on November 28.

Baroness Barran MBE, The Gatsby Foundation and Lord Sainsbury attended the event to celebrate the success of the students, now taking their next steps into skilled employment, university or apprenticeships.

Equivalent to three A-levels, the qualifications focus on technical and vocational skills, combining classroom study with industry placements so young people gain work experience in their chosen sector.

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One student celebrating their success and finishing their course is Joe Harper who studied digital production design and development at Havant and South Downs College (HSDC). He said: ‘It was hugely exciting to be invited to the House of Lords event and I feel privileged to be one of the first students to complete a T-levels course.

‘T-level gives you such a good opportunity to gain the skills that employers in your chosen sector are looking for. Lots of my course friends discovered their dream job while doing a T-level. One of the best things about a T-level is you have lots of options when you finish. Some people go straight into jobs, others go to university or on to higher apprenticeships.

The qualifications are designed in collaboration with employers to provide the skills that businesses across the region need in subject areas such as digital skills, health and social care and construction.

Joe, who has now secured a position as a first-line IT technician with Carrera UK, added: ‘If you’re interested in gaining real life industry experience then a T-level is for you, I would thoroughly recommend it to other students considering their options after GCSEs.’

Ashley Grute, assistant principal vocational curriculum at HSDC said: ‘We are incredibly proud of what our first cohort of T-level students have achieved during their time with us. It is fantastic to see the pathways they are taking after completing their course.’