The awarding bodies for the second wave of T levels have been announced. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has revealed that NCFE and City & Guilds will deliver seven T levels being introduced in 2021.

NCFE has been awarded contracts to develop the qualifications for digital business services, digital support and services, health, healthcare science and science. City & Guilds, meanwhile, has been awarded the contract for onsite construction and building services engineering.

Read more: First awarding bodies for new T levels announced

More views: T level contracts worth more than £30m up for grabs

T levels: What subjects can you take?

‘Expertise in the sector’

The exact value of these contracts has not been confirmed by the institute, but in March, it was reported they could be worth over £30 million.

In February, it was announced that NCFE and Pearson had been awarded contracts to deliver the first three T levels through the first wave of the qualifications, to be taught from September 2020.

Today’s news has been welcomed by education secretary Gavin Williamson, who said they had been selected because of “their breadth of knowledge and expertise in the sector”.

“I look forward to seeing our new qualifications become world-leading, ahead of the 2021 rollout, with these two organisations at the helm,” he said. 

‘Absolutely delighted’

Stewart Foster, chief operating officer and responsible officer at NCFE, said the organisation was “absolutely delighted” to have been awarded the T-level contracts.

“This will build on our current work with the institute in delivering the education and childcare T level in 2020 and enable us to support the FE sector to deliver these new pathways from 2021. Our core purpose is to promote and advance learning for all. To be at the forefront of this revolution in technical education means we can continue to support thousands of learners across England to progress and succeed.”

Kirstie Donnelly, managing director at City & Guilds Group, said: “The construction sector has been at the heart of City & Guilds since it was founded over 140 years ago and so we are delighted to have been awarded the contract to deliver construction T levels. As the leading sector specialists, we are ideally placed to develop these qualifications and we are very excited to be part of this new direction for technical education. We are especially pleased to have won this bid in collaboration with EAL, a second successful partnership after we were jointly awarded the contract to develop construction and built environment qualifications for Wales back in July.

“City & Guilds was originally founded because there was a critical need to train the nation at the time of the second Industrial Revolution. Today, with the UK facing growing skills gaps, the same need exists - and T levels present an unparalleled opportunity to provide young people with the technical knowledge, skills and behaviours that employers are demanding.”