Technical education forms less than a fifth of the qualification mixture at almost half of the providers chosen to pilot the first T levels.
Four of the schools selected to teach the first T-level subjects, which are due to be taught in 2020 – digital, construction, and education and childcare – currently offer no technical provision at all, according to a Tes analysis of performance data published on gov.uk.
However, the four providers – Sandwell Academy, Painsley Catholic College, Ursuline High School and George Abbot School – do offer applied general qualifications.
Some 13 of the chosen providers are rated good by Ofsted, while 39 are outstanding. Only 23 general FE colleges are involved in the T-level pilots, fewer than half of the total. There are also nine sixth-form colleges, 13 schools, three independent learning providers, two university technical colleges and one university.
'Ready to teach'
Only five educational providers have been chosen in which the technical offering currently outweighs the number of students sitting A levels or applied generals. At 10 providers, A levels make up more than 80 per cent of their current provision.
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “As set out in the required criteria, the first T-level providers must already be delivering qualifications within the same sector subject area as the T-level pathway they applied for to a minimum of 10 pupils.
“However, we are continuing to work closely with, and to support, our chosen providers so that they will be ready to teach the first T levels from 2020.
"This includes developing a tailored professional learning and development programme to upskill teachers and leaders across the sector. The initial training packages will be available from spring 2019.”
T levels 'a minority pursuit'
Deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, James Kewin, said some of his members with relevant expertise were "surprised" not to have been picked for the first T levels.
“Technical education is a minority pursuit for most sixth-form colleges, but we do have some members that are significant deliverers and they were surprised not to feature in the pilot," he added. "Using an outstanding Ofsted grade as a key part of the criteria has probably excluded a lot of institutions – colleges in particular – that could have made a major contribution to the development of T levels.”
More colleges to follow
Catherine Sezen, senior policy manager at the Association of Colleges, said many more colleges would be involved when further T levels are rolled out.
She added: “We are pleased that 60 per cent of 2020 providers are colleges [or sixth-form colleges] and would hope that this percentage will rise going forward. The additional call for providers to deliver design, surveying and planning will hopefully see additional colleges added to this group.”
In May, education secretary Damian Hinds rejected callsto delay the roll-out of the new qualifications from DfE permanent secretary Jonathan Slater, who had cited the challenging timeframe.
