Skills Minister talks T Levels and more at Walsall College

Walsall College is one of the first further education colleges to welcome Alex Burghart MP in his new role as Skills Minister.

With new T Level programmes underway for school leavers, the Minister spoke to students about their experiences so far.  He also met with apprentices, Access to Health adult learners and students on vocational/BTEC courses.

Jatinder Sharma OBE, Principal and CEO at Walsall College said: “We were pleased the Minister met students from a range of courses and training pathways, including T Levels.

“As a college deeply committed to supporting learners into higher levels of study and jobs, we also showcased the employer partnerships in place across our entire curriculum and how these align to the government’s skills for jobs agenda.”

Minister for Skills Alex Burghart said: “It was great to meet some of the fantastic staff and students at Walsall College. From apprenticeships and T Levels to Access Health and Art and Design courses, it was brilliant to hear how people of all ages are being supported by the college to reach their goals.

“I particularly enjoyed hearing how much the T Level students have learnt, after just a few weeks into their new courses. The qualifications have been developed with businesses so young people can be sure they are going to get the skills they need to succeed.”

In September 2021, Walsall College launched additional T Levels in Health, Computing and Electrical to supplement their 2020 pilot programmes in Construction, Digital, Education and Childcare.  Numbers are growing across this provision, with learners valuing the combination of 80% classroom study and 20% industry placement.