Blackpool and The Fylde College students teed up for career success

Blackpool and The Fylde College is celebrating student successes following the release of the UK’s first-ever set of results for the new employer-designed T Level qualifications.

The college, which is one of the leading providers of technical and professional education in England, hails this as an exciting milestone for students, education providers and employers.

Bev Robinson OBE, Principal and CEO of Blackpool and The Fylde College, said: “Our employer partners tell us that they need highly skilled people to drive their business forward which in turn, contributes to the growth of the economy. Technical and professional education delivers this. T Levels have been designed by employers and are transforming education for young people, creating vibrant career opportunities, be that immediately, or after undertaking a degree apprenticeship or studying a relevant degree.”

Each T Level is equivalent to three A Levels. They are two-year courses and central to each course is nine weeks of on-the job experience which equips students with the current knowledge and skills needed for high-quality employment, undertaking a degree apprenticeship or university course. With their focus on career pathways, the first group of students to graduate from the T level programme have done so in subjects as diverse as construction, early years education and digital technologies.

The achievement rate for T Level students who studied at Blackpool and The Fylde College is 100 per cent. Central to this achievement is the valued employer-partners who generously support industry placements. Overall, 85 per cent of T Level students achieved a grade of Merit and above, which is equivalent to three A Levels at grade B and above. 39 per cent successfully gained a Distinction T Level grade, which is equivalent to three A Levels at A grade and the maximum amount of UCAS points.

Bev added: “Our student results are impressive. The results demonstrate the students’ hard work, the commitment of our dual professional tutors and the support of our employer-partners to create the next generation of highly skilled employees for their industry. We are so proud of what our students have achieved and know that they now have the opportunity to excel in their chosen career paths.”

Having successfully achieved a T Level qualification at Blackpool and The Fylde College, these T Level students have gained degree apprenticeship roles, employment and secured places at a range of universities.

Among them is Reece Harris who has recently been offered a permanent role and full sponsorship for his upcoming degree apprenticeship from Blackpool-based software company Code Galaxy following a successful T Level placement.

Reece said: “Being into computers growing up can be quite isolating as it’s just you and the screen but by doing a placement-focused course, I have felt like part of the team as an employee rather than someone on work experience. A T Level is exactly the kind of experience that employers are looking for especially in areas like computing.”

Founder of Code Galaxy, Nicky Speakman, said: “It’s so important to support the industry placement of college students as it gives our team at Code Galaxy the chance to inspire the next generation of computer experts.

“It’s also an excellent opportunity to look for potential recruits and see how someone fits into our closely knitted team before we commit to employing them. In Reece’s case, we’ve been incredibly impressed – so much so that he is now a permanent member of our team.”

T Level Childcare and Education student Sam Greaves cites the practical on-the-job experience of his placement in a local primary school as his inspiration for a career in teaching. Sam, who achieved a Distinction, said: “For anyone who is considering a T Level, I would say it’s well worth taking the dive. I found it to be a really good experience and a good balance of practical and academic learning. I didn’t know what to expect when I started but I am now definitely set on a career in teaching after all of the experience I gained through my placement in a primary school.”