Skip to main content

Course Overview

T Levels offer a unique way of learning, combining valuable industry experience with classroom study. This course covers various topics such as:

● Digital Analysis
● Digital Environments
● Legislation
● Cyber Security

Providing you with wide-ranging knowledge and many important industry skills. As well as the core course content, there are opportunities to specialise in areas such as Digital Support, Network Cabling, Cyber Security and Digital Infrastructure. Your industry placement will provide you with an understanding of industry standards and will help you to recognise and practice professional codes of conduct. This experience will help you to stand out to future employers and educational institutes.

What are T Levels?
•  New 2-year, Level 3 qualifications equivalent to three A Levels and carries UCAS points to gain entry to Higher Education
•  Designed by professional bodies, employers and universities so that they are relevant and up to date.
•  Include at least 45 days of work-experience and the opportunity to build transferable skills and knowledge related to the job area
•  Assessed through a combination of exams, coursework and other methods

T Levels are new 2-year, Level 3 study programmes that will follow the study of GCSEs and Technical Awards at Key Stage 4 and offer an attractive alternative to A Levels and Apprenticeships. T Levels will combine classroom theory, practical learning and a 45 day industry placement with an employer to ensure students have real workplace experience.

The Technical Qualification (TQ) is the main classroom-based element of the T Level and will see students learning from a curriculum that industry experts have shaped. During the 2-year programme, students will learn the core knowledge that underpins each industry and they will also develop occupationally specific skills that will allow them to enter skilled employment within a specific occupation.
The T Level programmes have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so the content will meet industry needs and prepare students for work. They provide the knowledge and experience needed to open the door to highly skilled employment, an Apprenticeship or higher level study, including university.

Career options might include Infrastructure Technician, Technical Support Professional or Digital Systems Operator.

What will you learn?

Throughout the course you will:

  • Learn how digital technologies impact business and market environment.
  • Understand the ethical and moral implications of digital technology.
  • How to use data in software design.
  • Use digital technologies to analyse and solve problems.
  • Study the legal and regulatory obligations relating to digital technologies.
  • Plan digital projects.
  • Test software, hardware and data.
  • Use digital tools for project management and collaboration.
  • Learn about roles within the digital support services sector.
  • Practice fault analysis and problem resolution.

This Technical Qualification is for T Level students who are undertaking the T Level in Digital Support Services. Students will develop the technical understanding to solve IT/Digital issues on a range of operating systems and network types. Students will develop their skills in problem-solving and logistics to ensure IT systems and infrastructure are optimised for business use. Project management skills alongside risk management will allow our students to take on most types of digital support scenarios. There will be a focus on stakeholder management to ensure students know how to interact with different types of users and can perform their work in professional settings. T Levels are academically and practically rigorous and students their occupational specialism in cyber security.

Students are likely to have:
● A clear idea as to the industry sector they wish to pursue as a career
● An idea of the type of job role they’d like to explore as a career

To enrol on this course, you must have the following:

5 GCSEs/international GCSEs at Grade 5 (formerly Grade C) or above, including English, Maths and Science, and/or

● Vocational Tech Award qualification(s) at Level 2 at Pass and above in a relevant subject, e.g. BTEC Tech Award in Digital Information Technology.

Students may demonstrate the ability to succeed in various ways. For example, they may have relevant work experience or specific aptitude shown through diagnostic tests or non-educational experience.

How is it assessed?

Core component:

  • paper A written examination
  • paper B written examination
  • employer set project

To achieve a grade for the core component, students must have results for both sub-components (the core (written) examination and the employer set project).

The combined results from these sub-components will be aggregated to form the overall core component grade (A*–E and U).

Occupational specialism component:

  • synoptic assignments

The student is also required to successfully achieve a distinction/merit/pass grade in one of the occupational specialism components. If the student fails to reach the specified level of attainment, they will receive a U grade.

As part of your T Level, you will complete 45 days in a work placement. We encourage you to find an employer that is the right fit for you and will support you in securing your employment.

You may wish to progress on to a Higher Education course or into full-time employment on completion of the T Level.

The qualification is intended to carry UCAS points and is recognised by HE providers as contributing to the admission requirements to many relevant courses.

At the end of the Technical Qualification, students are expected to demonstrate threshold competence, which means that they have gained the core knowledge and skills related to software design and development and are well placed to develop full occupational competence with additional development and support once in employment in the digital sector. Furthermore, will provide students with a route through education that has a clear progression pathway to further study such as Employment, University or an Apprenticeship. 

Students who complete a T Level Technical Qualification in Digital Support Services will be able to choose between moving into a skilled occupation or further study; for example, a higher or degree level Apprenticeship, or higher level technical study, including higher education.

Career options might include Infrastructure Technician, Technical Support Professional, Cyber Security or Digital Systems Operator.

The jobs available to the students will be based on their abilities in the digital sector and will be supported by their achievement of this qualification.
Alternatively, students could progress sideways to the Level 3 Software Technician or ICT Technician Apprenticeship to develop and gain certification of their occupational competence, or they could progress to higher level Apprenticeships such as Level 4 Cyber Security, depending on their skills or experience.
Students could progress to relevant Higher National Certificate (HNC) or Higher National Diploma (HND) programmes or digital degree programmes such as Cyber Security BSc, Software Engineering BSc, Computing BSc, or Computer Science BSc.

Here at The College, we have a reputation for excellent skills training. Our lecturers are professionals in their chosen fields, with sound experience, knowledge and expertise.

Useful links:

What are T Levels? video: https://youtu.be/7rua65bHjMw
T Level information for parents: https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/students/parents

For further information click here 

Awarding Body:
NCFE

Course Options

Start Date

Wed 3rd September 2025

Attendance

Full-time

Duration

2 Years

Location

Bournemouth Campus

Apply