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This report provides a follow-up to the T Levels Research Study report [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 139.629], which was published by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) in June 2019. It is based on discussions that took place at NFER's T Levels round table event, which was held in London on 8th October 2019. The aim of the round table was to: (1) explore whether the T Levels research findings still resonated with providers and key sector representatives; (2) discuss the progress that had been made since the research was completed, as well as the challenges that had been tackled and those that remained; and (3) suggest the actions that needed to be taken by providers, policy makers and other key stakeholder to make T Levels a success. The structure of the report is as follows: Section 2 provides an overview of the current vocational and technical landscape as context to the introduction of T Levels; Section 3 presents the updated findings from the round table discussions; and Section 3 suggests a range of actions for providers and policy makers which emerged from the round table.

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This report, undertaken by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) on behalf of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Edge Foundation, examines the University Technical College (UTC) approach to teaching and learning to understand whether it is providing an effective model of technical education for students in a 14-19 cohort. The study also provides further information on the challenges facing UTCs within the current education system. UTCs are schools for 14-19 year olds that deliver an education which combines technical, practical and academic learning. Students can study a technical specialism alongside core academic subjects at GCSE and A-level. There are 49 UTCs open in England at the time of this report. This is an interim report focusing on phase 1 of the research, presenting preliminary findings ahead of the final report.

Key findings included: (1) there are a range of approaches currently used to engage and liaise with employers and to utilise their input into the design and delivery of the curriculum; at its most profound level, some UTCs have relationships with employers where they are co-developing and delivering projects, with employers taking ownership of curriculum units; (2) most young people enrolled due to an interest in the specialism or to learn about the world of work; and (3) main challenges faced were: ensuring that UTCs secured and managed a suitable range of employers providing high-quality input into the curriculum; and recruiting and retaining appropriate students with an interest in the specialism and motivated to engage and succeed and high-calibre staff with appropriate knowledge and skills. Advice for new UTCs included: (a) developing a clear vision and mission, and raising the UTC's profile and reputation; (b) ensuring pupils develop meaningful, relevant and appropriate skills; (c) investing in building and maintaining quality relationships with employers; and (d) providing regular and sustained exposure to a range of industry partners.

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T Levels are a major part of the Government's reforms to strengthen England's skills system by improving vocational and technical education. These two-year technical programmes for young people aged 16 to 19 years will combine classroom theory, practical learning and an industry placement. Each T Level will be equivalent to three A Levels. The first three T Levels to be delivered are in Digital, Construction, and Education and Childcare. Fifty providers - further education (FE) colleges, independent training providers, sixth form colleges, a University Technical College (UTC), academies, schools and a university - will deliver one or more of these T Level programmes across England from September 2020. This qualitative research provides an independent evidence-informed picture of how provider organisations are preparing to deliver these first three T Levels. The research involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews with senior/middle leaders with organisation-wide responsibility for T Levels in half (25) of the first 50 providers of the three T Levels to be delivered in 2020. We additionally interviewed ten senior sector representatives with extensive knowledge of vocational and technical education.

Key findings: (1) Providers and sector representatives are broadly supportive of the move to introduce T Levels; (2) Providers are being kept well informed about overall T Level design but noted the tight timescale to fully develop their curriculum plans, which could impact on quality; (3) Most providers felt reasonably confident in securing the required placements for 2020 but they and sector representatives reported challenges in certain sectors and over the longer-term; (4) Providers are generally confident in their staff expertise and capacity for delivery in 2020 but cannot fully judge its sufficiency without the detailed qualification specifications; (5) While providers are fairly confident that they will recruit their target student numbers for 2020, they reported challenges around future student recruitment; (6) Providers expect to use existing support mechanisms to support post T Level decision making but noted a lack of clarity on progression routes; and (7) Providers and sector representatives highlighted the need for continuing support and funding for new providers delivering T Levels in the future.

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The Association of Colleges commissioned [National Foundation for Educational Research] NFER to carry out a rapid literature review to identify the key characteristics and essential elements of teaching and learning in technical and vocational education. The review, carried out between July and September 2015, addressed the following research questions: (1) what are the characteristics of technical and vocational education?; (2) what makes good technical teaching and learning?; and (3) how do teaching and learning in technical and vocational subjects differ from the teaching and learning of academic and general subjects?

The systematic search of bibliographic databases (texts published in English in the UK, Australia, Canada and the USA, from 2010 to the present) and websites of key organisations identified 98 items. Based on relevance to the research questions and the quality of the evidence, 17 texts were reviewed. This review found limited literature referring specifically to technical education, which is an under-researched area of education provision. Technical education is not generally defined as a separate entity as distinct from vocational education. The evidence highlights that the characteristics of vocational education include not only those associated with all learning (such as supportive teacher/learner relationships and having a culture of aspiration), but also the distinctive, additional features of meeting the diversity of vocational learners' needs and contextualisation of learning.

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The overall aim of this two-year study, for The Royal Academy of Engineering and the Edge Foundation, was to understand effective practice and lessons learned from approaches to curriculum design and employer engagement by University Technical Colleges (UTCs). We used a case-study methodology supplemented with management information and a survey of UTC students' views. In phase 1 (2017) we carried out ten UTC case studies, in phase 2 (2018) we re-visited three UTCs demonstrating profound employer engagement in Project Based Learning (PBL).

Key findings included: (1) PBL represents a different way of learning; projects are industry-relevant and most effectively developed in collaboration with employers to ensure that the outcomes achieved help students to secure positive future pathways; (2) The evidence indicates that PBL and employer input, where delivered in a high-quality embedded way, deliver wide-ranging impacts for students, including work-readiness, enhanced emotional skills, high-level technical skills, and qualifications/awards; (3) The main challenges UTCs faced were recruiting: a suitable range of employers (including SMEs) providing high-quality input into the curriculum; appropriate motivated students with an interest in the specialism; high-calibre staff with relevant knowledge, experience and skills; and (4) Advice for schools included: be proactive and target the 'right' employers; develop and train staff so they fully embrace the importance of employer input into PBL; promote UTCs (or the school) and their educational approach; in order to improve the evolving PBL model, consider including timetable changes; employ key staff with industry backgrounds and connections; make employer contributions clear and easy to understand; celebrate successful completion of projects.

Excerpt from publisher's website.

The phase one report is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 131.581. Show less