CIH Development Officer, Helen Sessions, is working on the employer and industry engagement for the new Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care T Levels.
The two Technical Qualifications (TQs) in Land represent an excellent opportunity for young people to start their working life in a sector which can offer sustainable, rewarding careers. In the Land T Level there are the following occupational specialisms (OS):
- Animal care and management
- Equine care and management
- Crop production
- Livestock production
- Ornamental and environmental horticulture and landscaping
- Trees and woodland
- Floristry
- Habitat management
- Land-based Engineering
As the next generation enters the workforce, they’ll be facing new opportunities and we’re honoured to play an important role in helping to equip these students with the skills they need to flourish in their future careers. We believe studying a T Level will give the learners confidence and readiness for work, which increases their employability and provides a sound basis to progress onto the first rung of their career ladder or the next stage of their education journey.
T Levels explained
- The first T Levels were made available to learners from September 2023
- T Levels are aimed at 16-18-year-old students
- They’re designed to offer a ‘gold standard’ route for students wishing to enter skilled occupations
- T Levels are nationally recognised programmes that have similar rigour to 3 A-Levels
- They’re developed in collaboration with employers and businesses to ensure they meet the needs of the industry and prepare students for the workplace.
For the development of the TQ, it is critical that employers of involved in the validation of the content and assessment. The feedback and validation activities involve reviewing drafted content and assessments. This can be done through attendance to group online meetings, 121 meetings or phone calls, or remotely through feedback questionnaires.
To meet this requirement City and Guilds have set up Employer and Industry Boards (EIB) for each of the T Level OS. Due to the ranges of specialisms and job roles within the Land-based sector, and routes a learner may progress onto after completing a T Level, we are looking to increase the number and types of employers that are participating in the EIB to reflect the land sector.
Therefore employers are interested in being involved in these activities? If they are, they can contact sally.green@cityandguilds.com
Alternatively, if they are unable to be part of the validation group and activities, but would like to receive updates on the Land T Levels they can sign up to receive information and updates by completing the form: https://www.cityandguilds.com/tlevels/land-based
Employer webinars
To date, there have been two employer webinars; November 2021 launching the T Levels and February 2022 providing an update. These are available to watch on our website and can be found : https://www.cityandguilds.com/tlevels/employers
It is listed in the ‘Webinar archive’ dropdown / accordion.
Helen Sessions, CIH Development Officer