TLPD Course Glossary

Action planning 

An ongoing process carried out by professionals in which they identify the actions required to develop their knowledge, skills and practice. The professional development platform (PDP) available as part of the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer includes an action planning tool. Most TLPD courses will encourage participants to use this tool.   

Additional mandatory requirements  

Any extra rules that learners must follow in order to complete their T Level and/or enter employment. These are usually occupation-specific requirements (e.g. license to practise).   

Area relationship and development leads (ARDLs) 

Members of staff at the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) who support providers in specific geographical areas with the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer and signpost them to continuing professional development (CPD) activities that best suit their needs.  

Assessment objectives (AOs) 

Statements that define what T Level learners should be able to demonstrate in their external examination and the employer-set project (ESP). These are written in the specifications. They are different for the external examination and the ESP.  

Awarding organisations (also known as AOs) 

The bodies that design, develop, deliver and award T Levels.   The awarding organisation creates the Technical Qualification (TQ) and shares it via the specification, using outline content as a starting point.  Most T Levels have one awarding organisation and some awarding organisations are responsible for multiple T Levels across different routes. Pearson, for example, are responsible for: 
– Accounting 
– Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction 
– Digital Production, Design and Development 
– Finance 
– Legal Services.

Bloom’s Taxonomy  

A set of hierarchical models used to classify learning, developed by the educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom in the 1950s.  It refers to three domains of learning:
– the cognitive domain
– the psychomotor domain
– the affective domain. 
Processes within these domains are categorised from lower to higher levels of complexity.    

The Capacity and Delivery Fund (CDF) 

Financial support provided by the Department for Education (DfE) to build T Level providers’ capacity and capability to deliver effective industry placements.  

Capital fund 

Financial support provided by the Department for Education (DfE) to help T Level providers improve buildings and facilities for T Levels and purchase necessary specialist equipment for T Levels.

The CAVTL (Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning) report 

Also known as It’s about work: Excellent adult vocational teaching and learning, this 2013 report by an independent commission of experts developed important principles for effective technical education, including the importance of a ‘two-way street’ between providers and employers and a clear ‘line of sight to work’ for learners – both of which are essential to T Levels.  

CEIAG (careers education, information, advice and guidance) 

The support offered by education providers to help learners: 
– understand the opportunities open to them
– make decisions about their education and careers
– prepare for the world of work.  

Communities of Practice (CoPs) 

Groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. In education, communities have three essential components:  
– the community, in this case teachers 
– the domain, in this case T Levels  
– the practice, in this case technical teaching and professional development.    

Constructive alignment 

The practice of designing teaching and learning activities which align with learners’ intended learning outcomes (ILOs) and assessment.  

Core  

One part of the Technical Qualification (TQ) in T Levels, alongside the Occupational Specialism (OS). It covers the knowledge and skills that are relevant for the route to which that T Level belongs and represents up to half of the TQ. It is assessed through an external examination and the employer-set project (ESP).   

Core skills 

Part of the core, which is itself part of the Technical Qualification (TQ) in T Levels. Core skills are the skills that learners will need for work in this sector, regardless of the Occupational Specialism (OS) they choose.  

Curriculum co-design 

The principle of working with employers and other stakeholders to develop T Level curricula in collaboration. An example of ‘two-way street working’.  

Delivery model 

Approaches to structuring and timetabling T Level delivery – especially how to sequence the industry placement with learning at the provider.  

Department for Education (DfE) 

The Government department responsible for children's services and education, including further education (FE) and therefore, T Levels.  

Dual professionalism 

The theory that effective technical and/or vocational teachers need to constantly maintain their occupational/industry/subject expertise and experience alongside their teaching and learning practice. 

T Level teachers must inspire and excite learners by bringing the modern world of work into their classrooms. If they haven’t worked in the sector for years, they might (for example) make use of employer partnerships, attend regular industry events, apply for an Industry Insights placement or undertake specific continuing professional development (CPD) to stay up to date.      

Employer-set project (ESP) 

One of the forms of assessment in T Levels. A series of tasks set by an employer which are based on real-life work problems and assess learners’ core skills, knowledge and understanding. Learners must also apply transferable skills and selected English, maths and digital (EMD) skills.   

English and maths requirements 

The requirement that T Level learners work towards the attainment of maths and English if they haven’t already achieved grade 4 at GCSE.    

English, maths and digital (EMD) skills 

The English, maths and digital (EMD) skills that learners must demonstrate during their T Level, which are grouped into competencies by the Department for Education (DfE). These are embedded in T Levels (rather than being abstract skills that can be applied in technical contexts).   

Entry requirements 

The conditions that must be met upon entry to a course or qualification. There are no specific entry requirements for T Levels, and awarding organisations make it clear that it is the provider’s responsibility to ensure that learners can meet the demands of the course.  

External examination 

One of the ways in which the core of the Technical Qualification (TQ) is assessed, along with the employer-set project (ESP). Typically, a question paper with a range of different question types which is externally set and marked using a standardised mark scheme by the awarding organisation (AO).    

Formative assessment 

An ongoing form of (usually internal and teacher-led) assessment – also referred to as ‘Assessment for Learning (AFL)’ – which monitors learners’ progress and provides them with regular feedback. It can help learners to develop their self-regulatory skills and prepare for more formal and externally assessed kinds of assessment.   

The Further Education (FE) and Training sector 

A catch-all term for education provision after secondary education that isn’t part of universities or higher education. FE settings include colleges, training providers, schools, adult and community learning and prison education. Adult learners outnumber young people in FE, but most full-time learners are between the ages of 16 and 19.  

The Gatsby Benchmarks 

A set of eight benchmarks established by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation that education providers can use as a framework for improving their careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG):
1. A stable careers programme 
2. Learning from career and labour market information 
3. Addressing the needs of each learner 
4. Linking curriculum learning to careers 
5. Encounters with employers and employees 
6. Experiences of workplaces 
7. Encounters with further and higher education 
8. Personal guidance     

General English Competencies (GECs), General Mathematical Competencies (GMCs) and General Digital Competencies (GDCs) 

The English, maths and digital (EMD) skills that learners must demonstrate during their T Level, as defined by the Department for Education (DfE). These are embedded in T Levels (rather than being abstract skills that can be applied in technical contexts). 

There are six General English Competencies, ten General Mathematical Competencies and six General Digital Competencies. The ETF has produced a simple graphic which lists them all.

Guided learning hours (GLH) 

The number of hours a learner should spend being taught by – or learning under the guidance or supervision of – their teacher or trainer.   

Industry Insights 

Part of the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer in which provider staff can develop their skills and update their occupational knowledge through individual placements with employers, group industry placements and/or industry workshops.   

Industry placement (IP) 

Part of the T Level programme which represents 20% of the qualification. (The Technical Qualification or TQ is the remaining 80%.) A ‘meaningful’ and extensive placement with an external employer in which learners can develop and apply the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) required for skilled employment in a workplace environment. They must last at least 315 hours.   

Intended learning outcomes (ILO) 

Statements that define what learners should be able to do once they’ve completed their studies. 

The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute, or IfATE) 

An organisation created in 2017 – after the Government’s 2016 Post-16 Skills Plan – to support apprenticeships and technical education in the UK. The Institute (also known as IfATE) is a non-departmental public body of the Department for Education (DfE) that, among other things, oversees the creation of standards, occupational maps and T Level outline content.   

Knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) 

The three elements required for an employee to be work ready: technical knowledge and experience, transferable professional skills and transferable personal qualities – or knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) for short. In T Levels, these are defined by the standards and emphasised in outline content, both of which are managed by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute or IfATE).

KSBs can be imagined in a ‘T shape’ with skills and behaviours sitting horizontally on top of the vertical column of knowledge.  

Labour market information (LMI) 

Information – in the form of statistics, research, analysis and feedback from employer partners – about current and future economic and job trends that providers can use to make decisions about investment, training, careers and newly emerging technologies.

This information can be valuable for strategic decision making at provider level, but also for individual teachers to guide their learners (e.g. in their early career choices based on likelihood of employment).   

Learners 

16 to 19-year-olds who are embarking on T Levels. Note:

– Where possible, words such as ‘student’ and ‘pupil’ are deliberately avoided in T Level Professional Development (TLPD) courses because of their associations with particular provider types. (T Levels are delivered by a range of organisations.) 

– To distinguish them from ‘learners’, the word ‘participants’ will be used to refer to provider staff who are embarking on TLPD continuing professional development (CPD).  

The learner journey 

A phrase that summarises how learners move through a programme of learning, from awareness of the qualification through induction, delivery, assessment and beyond.  

The ‘line of sight to work’ 

The concept that learners should be able to see the relevance of their vocational/technical learning to the real-world context – i.e. “Knowing this/being able to do this will help me to be better at this role.”    

‘Meaningful’  

The adjective attached to industry placements that bring clear benefits to T Level learners – e.g. by:  
– allowing them to see the reality of what it takes to be successful in their chosen occupation.
– giving them opportunities to apply knowledge and practice the necessary skills and behaviours. 
– aligning with their curriculum and classroom learning.  
There is no one definition of ‘meaningful’ – but the Department for Education (DfE) is clear that T Level industry placements should be deeper, longer and more structured than the work placements associated with other qualifications. They also note that placements with family members and paid placements may be less meaningful.  

Metacognition  

Thinking about learning – and deciding how best to learn. In a further education (FE) context, metacognition usually refers to a learner’s ability to plan, monitor and evaluate their own learning – and use that to, for example, pick the most suitable strategy for a particular activity. Teachers can help learners to develop their metacognition skills and ‘improve’ how they learn.  

Networks 

Provider-led groups facilitated by the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer in which teaching staff, support staff, curriculum managers and leaders come together to discuss the planning and delivery of T Levels.  

The ‘New Teacher Programme’ 

A series of courses in the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer that are designed to support new teachers by introducing key pedagogical concepts and encouraging participants to reflect on their experiences as learners. The courses can be completed online in the participants’ own time and/or as live online/face-to-face training.    

Occupational maps 

Online resources maintained by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute or IfATE) which bring together the standards and illustrate pathways through each route to show the careers to which different choices can lead.  

Occupational identity 

The identity associated with a particular occupation. In other words, an impression of how someone in a particular role should look, feel and behave. This can be described as what learners should ‘become’, which goes beyond what they should ‘learn’.

T Level teachers can model, reinforce and challenge the identity that learners attach to a particular occupation. Challenging it might be particularly important where occupations are associated with specific groups (e.g. engineers are male).  

Occupational Specialisms (OS) 

One part of the Technical Qualification (TQ) in T Levels, alongside the core. It covers the specialist knowledge and skills required to enter employment in a particular occupation, as defined by the corresponding occupational standard, and is usually assessed via a synoptic assignment. The number of OS in a T Level varies – some T Levels include one OS, while others offer several. Providers may deliver one or more OS but learners can only pick one.   

The ‘Operational Middle Leaders and Managers’ courses 

A series of courses in the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer that are designed to support operational middle leaders and managers who are preparing to implement T Levels. The courses can be completed online in the participants’ own time and/or as live online/face-to-face training.    

Outline content 

Introductory documents developed by panels of industry experts and maintained by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute or IfATE). They set out the rough content of each T Level, including the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) that learners will need to cover (as established by the relevant standard). Awarding organisations (AOs) take these documents and use them to create more detailed specifications.    

Performance outcomes (POs) 

Statements that define what T Level learners should be able to do with regards to their Occupational Specialism (OS). They are assessed via synoptic assignments.   

Post-16 Skills Plan  

The Government’s 2016 response to the Sainsbury Report, which sought to streamline and improve the technical education system in England. The Plan accepted the recommendations of the Report and set out extensive reforms – including the development of T Levels and the creation of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute or IfATE) which would go on to oversee the standards that sit at the heart of T Levels and apprenticeships.   

Professional development platform (PDP) 

The digital platform through which providers can access the support and continuing professional development (CPD) included in the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer. 

Provider 

A generic term for organisations that provide education – in this context, T Levels. In the Further Education (FE) and Training sector, providers include (but are not limited to) colleges, schools and independent training providers.  

Reflective practice 

The ongoing act of evaluating and critically analysing one’s teaching practice – and planning for improvement, based on the insights gained.   

The Richard Review of Apprenticeships  

An independent 2012 review of apprenticeships carried out by businessman Doug Richard and commissioned by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) that led to key reforms including the introduction of employer-set standards and – in some senses – paved the way for the introduction of T Levels.  

Role- and route-specific training 

A series of courses in the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer that are designed to support the teaching of T Levels – including continuing professional development (CPD) about individual routes and the T Levels within them. The courses can be completed online in the participants’ own time and/or as live online/face-to-face training.     

Route  

The categories into which T Levels are grouped. Each route typically covers an industrial area (e.g. Construction and the Built Environment, Education and Childcare, Digital). 

There are 15 T Level routes, as recommended in the Sainsbury Report.   

The Sainsbury Report (also known as the Report of the independent panel on technical education) 

The result of a 2015-2016 review carried out by an independent panel which was chaired by Lord Sainsbury and sought to streamline and improve the technical education system in England. Its recommendations were accepted by the Government in their Post-16 Skills Plan, which set out extensive reforms – including the development of routes and eventually, T Levels. 

The Skills for Jobs White Paper 

A white paper published by the Department for Education (DfE) in 2021 which confirmed the expansion of existing reforms to increase the number of people studying high-quality technical education, including the continued rollout of T Levels.   

Specifications 

Detailed documents developed by awarding organisations (OS) that establish the content for the Technical Qualification (TQ) in each T Level. These will build on the outline content developed by panels of industry experts and maintained by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute or IfATE).  

Standards (also known as occupational standards or apprenticeship standards) 

Descriptions of specific occupations that include a profile of the role and define the knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) required. Standards sit at the heart of T Levels and apprenticeships. They are developed by trailblazer groups of employers and maintained by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute or IfATE).  

Study programmes   

Courses for 16 to 19-year-olds, the rules for which were first introduced in 2013. They are funded on a per-learner basis (rather than a per-qualification basis) and must be tailored to each learner, with clear study and/or employment goals reflecting prior attainment. They need to include:   

– substantial qualifications
– maths and English for learners who did not achieve a 4 at GCSE 
– high-quality work experience or work preparation
– added-value non-qualification activity that supports the learners’ goals.

T Levels are study programmes – although industry placements are different from the work experience or work preparation mentioned above.   

Synoptic assessment   

A form of assessment that requires learners to synthesise knowledge, skills and behaviours across multiple modules or areas of a course. The Occupational Specialisms (OS) in T Levels are assessed via synoptic assignments.   

The ‘Teaching T Levels’ courses 

A series of courses in the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer that are designed to support teaching staff who are preparing to deliver T Levels. They focus on ‘Enhancing Pedagogy’ and ‘Vocational and Professional Upskilling’ respectively. The courses can be completed online in the participants’ own time and/or as live online/face-to-face training.    

Technical Qualification (TQ) 

The biggest part of the T Level programme which represents 80% of the qualification and includes the core and the Occupational Specialism (OS). (The industry placement is the remaining 20%.)  

Threshold competence  

The level of competence deemed by employers as sufficient to secure employment in roles relevant to an Occupational Specialism (OS) at a particular (usually junior) level. Achievement of threshold competence signals that a learner is well-placed to develop full occupational competence, with further support and development, once in work.   

T Levels   

Two-year Level 3 qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds, developed with input from employers and sector leaders and first introduced in 2020. T Levels are designed to provide learners with the occupationally relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) they need to move into employment or higher technical education, as well as addressing skills shortages.  

T Level Leadership Mentoring Programme  

A programme from the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer that allows operational leaders to explore the opportunities and challenges of T Level delivery with a specialist mentor.  

T Level Professional Development (TLPD) bulletin 

An online newsletter from the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) that brings recipients all the latest news about the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer, including new resources.  

T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer 

A package of support and continuing professional development (CPD) for T Level providers funded by the Department for Education (DfE) and delivered by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF), including live online and face-to-face workshops, e-learning resources, mentoring, networking, and industry collaboration.  

T Level programme  

The structure of the T Level, including the Technical Qualification (TQ) – which breaks down into the core and the Occupational Specialism (OS) – and the industry placement. T Level programmes also include English and maths requirements and may involve other occupation-specific elements.  

T Level Transition Programme (TP) 

A Department for Education (DfE) programme designed to support learners who might benefit from extra study time and preparation before starting their T Level.  

Trailblazer groups  

Groups of employers who – supported and overseen by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (the Institute or IfATE) – develop the standards that sit at the heart of T Levels and apprenticeships. The employers come from businesses and organisations that are relevant to each standard.  

Training needs analysis (TNA) 

A process by which individuals and organisations:
– measure the gap between the knowledge/skills they have and the knowledge/skills they want to have
– consider the next steps for addressing that gap.

They might do this to assess their readiness for a change – e.g. the introduction of T Levels.

The T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer includes tools for carrying out an Individual Training Needs Analysis (ITNA) and an Organisational Training Needs Analysis (OTNA), both of which recommend key courses and resources that are tailored to the participant’s needs.   

TRIPs (T Level Resource Improvement Projects) 

Collaborative projects in which providers and other stakeholders work together to produce resources that will support the planning and delivery of T Levels. Part of the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer. (Note: The TRIP acronym used to stand for Teacher Regional Improvement Project but now stands for T Level Resource Improvement Project.)  

The T-shaped thinker and learner 

A model introduced by NEF: The Innovation Institute and further developed by the Education and Training Foundation (ETF) which has relevance for both learners and teachers when it comes to T Level delivery. It establishes three elements required for someone to be work ready: technical knowledge and experience, transferable professional skills and transferable personal qualities – or knowledge, skills and behaviours (KSBs) for short.   The ‘T shape’ refers to the skills and behaviours sitting horizontally on top of the vertical column of knowledge. This graphic visualises the T-shaped T Level teacher.

Two-way street 

The concept that the most effective vocational/technical programmes come from strong, collaborative partnerships between education providers and employers. This was reinforced in the 2013 CAVTL (Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning) report.  

UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) tariff points 

A way of determining the ‘value’ of a particular grade on a qualification. They are used by education providers such as universities to assess whether a potential learner meets the entry requirements for a course. T Levels are equivalent to three A levels. A Distinction on a T Level, for example, represents 144 UCAS tariff points, the same as three As at A Level.  

The ‘Understanding T Levels’ courses 

A series of courses in the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer which introduce T Levels and put them in context. There are options for frontline staff, leaders/governors and business support staff respectively. The courses can be completed online in the participants’ own time and/or as live online/face-to-face training.     

Wave 1, Wave 2, Wave 3 and Wave 4 

Terms used for the different groups of T Levels that have been (or will be) introduced each year since September 2020.  

Wave 1 refers to the T Levels that started in September 2020: 
– Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction 
– Digital Production, Design and Development
– Education and Childcare.  

Wave 2 refers to the T Levels that started in September 2021:  
– Building Services Engineering for Construction 
– Digital Business Services 
– Digital Support Services
– Health 
– Healthcare Science 
– Onsite Construction
–Science.  

Wave 3 refers to the T Levels that started in September 2022:
– Accounting 
– Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing 
– Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control
–Finance
–Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing 
– Management and Administration.

Wave 4 refers to the T Levels starting in September 2023:
– Agriculture, Land Management and Production 
– Catering 
–Craft and Design 
– Hair, Beauty and Aesthetics 
– Legal Services 
– Media, Broadcast and Production.   

The Wolf Review of Vocational Education 

An independent 2011 review of vocational education carried out by Professor Alison Wolf and commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) that led to key reforms including the introduction of new study programmes and – in some senses – paved the way for the introduction of T Levels.