As part of T Levels Week 2026, Newbury College is celebrating the growing impact of T Levels and the opportunities they are creating for both students and employers. By combining high-quality technical education with industry experience, T Levels are helping young people develop the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for their future careers, while giving employers the opportunity to support emerging talent and help shape the workforce their industries need.
Young people entering the workplace need more than qualifications. Employers need recruits who understand their industry, can apply their knowledge and are ready to develop the professional skills needed to succeed at work.
T Levels are designed to bring those two needs together.
Equivalent to three A Levels, a T Level combines classroom study with technical and practical learning and a substantial industry placement. Every student must complete at least 315 industry placement hours – approximately 45 days – with an employer, giving them valuable experience of applying their learning in a genuine workplace.
As T Levels continue to grow nationally, the evidence of their impact is becoming increasingly clear.
More than work experience
T Level placements provide employers with the opportunity to utilise a young person in meaningful projects and tasks. Supporting the student in the workplace to put into practice the knowledge they have been developing in the classroom, creating ownership, and embedding skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving alongside enhancing their technical knowledge.
By hosting a student, businesses can bring fresh thinking into their teams, spot emerging talent and help shape the skills their sector will need now and for the future.
Students gain meaningful experience by contributing to real work, while employers have the opportunity to develop potential future recruits and strengthen mentoring and leadership skills within their existing workforce. It is a practical partnership that creates value on both sides.
Careers, not courses
At Newbury College, our approach is about careers, not courses.
T Levels strengthen the connection between education and employment, giving students specialist knowledge alongside first-hand industry experience for the careers they are developing. This helps young people make more informed decisions about their futures while preparing them for their next step.
That next steps include skilled employment, an apprenticeship or higher apprenticeship, or university. Nationally, more than 90% of students from the first two completing T Level cohorts were in employment or further study when surveyed, while 97% of T Level students applying to university in 2023 and 2024 received at least one offer*.
For employers, the opportunity is equally important. Industry placements allow businesses not simply to recruit people with the skills they need, but to play an active role in identifying and developing those skills.
As T Levels continue to grow, the partnership between students, education and industry will be central to their success, creating opportunities for young people while helping employers develop a skilled workforce of the future.
Newbury College offers T Level programmes in areas including Business and Management, Marketing and Building Services Engineering for Construction (electrical and plumbing). Employers interested in supporting a T Level industry placement can work with the College to explore opportunities that suit their organisation and help develop the next generation of skilled professionals.
Get involved with T Levels
For employers
Help develop the skills your industry needs. By offering a T Level industry placement, you can support emerging talent, bring fresh ideas into your organisation and build relationships with potential future recruits. Talk to our Industry Placement Coordinators about becoming a T Level placement employer. Find out more at T Levels or email
For students
If you want to combine specialist study with real industry experience, a T Level could be the right next step. Develop practical skills, gain valuable workplace experience and prepare for employment, an apprenticeship or university. Explore T Levels at Newbury College and find the route that could lead to your future career https://newbury.college/byYZna
*Sources: Department for Education, Summary of T Level results day 2025 update; UCAS, T Levels and progression to higher education, 2024.