Hartpury College is proudly recognising T Level Thursday (8 February) as part of National Apprenticeship Week, setting the stage for the qualifications’ highly anticipated introduction at the Gloucestershire institution in September. These ‘technical programmes’ are set to become one of the main choices for 16 to 19-year-olds after GCSEs.
Hartpury College will offer T Levels in Livestock Production, Land-Based Engineering and Crop Production, as well as T Level Foundation Programmes in Land-Based Engineering and Agriculture. A full T Level qualification is broadly equivalent to 3 A-levels and focuses on technical and vocational skills, helping students into skilled employment, higher study, or apprenticeships.
One of the key benefits of the new T Levels is the amount of on-the-job experience they include. Students will spend a large amount of their time gaining first-hand experience of their chosen career in an industry placement. That’s in addition to the practical and classroom education they’ll receive at Hartpury College.
Industry involvement has been at the heart of Hartpury’s qualifications for many years, so the significant industry focus on the T levels has been welcomed. This will help to ensure students are fully equipped with the skills needed for their next steps into employment.
To study a T Level, students will need five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, to include English Language and Maths. Those students not quite ready for a T Level may qualify for a T Level Foundation Programme before progressing onto a full T Level or into employment
Claire Whitworth, Deputy Principal of Hartpury College said: “We’re excited to launch our new T Levels from September 2024. Students will have the opportunity to specialise in one of three specific pathways and therefore tailor their studies to meet their interests and career ambitions. Important topics such as climate change, sustainability and biosecurity are key themes with these T Levels, giving students the knowledge needed to equip themselves for the jobs of today and in the future.
We were delighted to have received a Department for Education (DfE) T Level grant of £2.49m and have been investing in new, specialist equipment to support all three T Level pathways. We’ll also officially open our newly refurbished agricultural workshops in September.”
T Level students at Hartpury College will also benefit from facilities such as the Agriculture Digital Studio, launched in May 2023. The studio is a dedicated industry-facing space where future technologies in agriculture can be explored through agriculture simulators and VR headsets. In addition, T Level students will benefit from access to Hartpury’s Digital Innovation Farm on campus. This includes the Agri-Tech Centre for smart farming technology in livestock production and Tech Box Park innovation spaces for agri-businesses, as well as a commercial farm. ‘Home Farm’ is not only a commercial farm but is also a teaching farm for students studying college diplomas as well as a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
Hartpury College is rated ‘Ofsted Outstanding in all areas’ for academic and curriculum-related provision.
Attend an Open Day
College open days are a great place to start if you’re thinking about studying a T Level in September. Meet staff, have a tour of the campus and find out everything you need to know about studying at Hartpury. The events are popular so spaces fill up quickly. The next open days are on Saturday 24 February and Saturday 16 March. Click here to book your place.
