With just over 18 months to go before providers begin delivering T Levels, the Skills Minister has written to “2020 Principals” thanking them for their “engagement and enthusiasm”.

In her letter, Anne Milton MP, takes the opportunity to update providers on the latest developments, including:

• T Level course descriptions will be shared by the end of April 2019 with final qualification specifications ready by February 2020
• Final decisions about UCAS points for T Levels have yet to be confirmed
• DfE T Levels branding and communications will be available for providers by the end of April 2019 to feed in to local marketing activity, ahead of a full marketing campaign from September 2019
• Further information on industry placements is expected in the spring with the DfE “exploring some variations to the models and approaches”
• A government response to the T Levels funding consultation will be published in June
• The first T Level results will not be published in performance tables and T Levels will not be included in Qualification Achievements Rates (QARs) data until 2024 at the earliest, if at all.

Providers are also being encouraged by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education, to provide comments on the outline content for wave two T Levels in Construction, Digital, and Legal, Finance & Accountancy. Feedback on areas such as estimated teaching time and gaps in knowledge will help to shape the content from which the technical qualifications will be developed.

The DfE has also published an accountability statement showing the roles and responsibilities of government organisations in the introduction of T Levels. Organisations covered in the statement include the Education and Skills Funding Agency, the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education and Ofqual.