Employers and students switch on to Walsall College’s new Digital T Level

Walsall College is off to a great start with its new qualification aimed at tackling technical gaps in IT training for school leavers.

Prospective students and employers attended the launch of the T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development, which starts in September.

The two-year programme is equivalent to three A Levels.  It involves students spending 80% of their time in the classroom and 20% on an industry placement of 315 hours, equivalent to 45 days. Students can then progress on to university level study or a higher-level apprenticeship.

Walsall College is one of the first in the country to be providing this qualification developed in collaboration with employers including Fujitsu, Skanska and GlaxoSmithKline.

Jeremy Bridgman, Head of Business and Computing at Walsall College said: “We look forward to working more closely with a range of employers interested in providing industry placements to our students.

“The top 15 emerging jobs in the UK all require some form of digital expertise via data science, software development, content design, information security and technology engineering.  It’s important that we have people with the relevant skills to step into these roles, especially as more businesses will come to rely on them.

“The Digital T Level course modules will support this. The industry placement will enhance students’ professional awareness while providing employers with opportunities to develop the expertise of the individuals they recruit and work with in future.”

Staffordshire University are also working with the college to promote the benefits of T Levels.

Matt Brindley-Sadler, Associate Dean in the School of Computing and Digital Technologies added: “T Level qualification curricula and style of learning very much mirror how we encourage students at university to broaden their skills by engaging with employers from the beginning of their learning journey.

“Practical and problem based learning, with enquiry and discovery, are at the core of our teaching and learning strategy: to create highly skilled and digitally connected graduates of the future. T Levels will help students to progress successfully to meet these expectations.”

Employers including Bromford, Barhale and Veen Pool Media attended the launch event to receive an overview of the qualification and find out more about the industry placements they can offer students.

For further information about studying the Digital T Level or providing an industry placement, email info@walsallcollege.ac.uk

Click here for further information about studying the Digital T Level.  Employers interested in providing an industry placement can find out more here.