T-levels APPG meeting held at the Science Museum

The latest meeting of the T-levels APPG was held at the Science Museum in London on 19th September.

Attendees were first invited to take a tour of Technicians: The David Sainsbury Gallery which showcases technician careers in a wide variety of workplaces. The roles highlighted represent opportunities for exciting careers that studying a T-level may be the first step towards.

Opening speaker Rt Hon Robert Halfon MP, Minister of State for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, described the positive rollout of T-levels, praising the strong work of students, employers and providers – those at the forefront of T-level delivery, including the event panel members. Robert Grimsey of Nash Squared, a global digital services consultancy, shared the company’s vision for how T-levels can contribute to meeting the future skills needs of the tech sector, for example, by responding to employer demand with the addition of a new occupational specialism in Cyber Security. Kate Giles of Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust outlined her experiences of offering industry placements across the Midwifery Unit. She described the journey of a student who has gone on to be recruited as a midwifery support worker on completion of their T-level, which included a successful placement on the unit. Ruth Coyle from La Retraite RC School then discussed the school’s experience of running T-level programmes and some of the brilliant employment and further study opportunities their students have taken up.

The T-levels APPG is sponsored by Gatsby, along with Aecom and Engineering UK. Its aims are to:

• Increase cross-party Parliamentarian awareness, understanding of, and support for, T-levels;
• Ensure T-levels are positively received by Parliamentarians, key stakeholders and the wider public;
• Provide a forum for stakeholders to demonstrate their commitment and understanding of the challenges facing young people today, and in the future, and how the T -level qualification programme widens participation.

For more information contact TLevelsAPPG@connectpa.co.uk