The Sheffield College has been awarded a £500,000 government grant for new industry standard facilities to support the education and training of T Levels students.
T Levels are new two-year technical qualifications that are delivered with employers and equivalent to three A Levels.
Students completing T Levels spend 80% of their learning at college and 20% on a 45-day industry placement.
The funding will be spent on enhancing catering and barbering training facilities at the college’s City Campus on Granville Road.
A new training kitchen will be created as part of the current catering wing based at City Campus.
The new kitchen will be fitted with workstations, electric ovens and hobs, and camera and video streaming equipment to support tutors’ live demonstrations.
A new dedicated teaching space for barbering T Level students will also be built in the hairdressing wing comprising a new classroom and 18 barbering stations.
The barbering training facility will be completed in time for the launch of the barbering T Level in September 2024. The training kitchen will be completed in time for the launch of the catering T Level, which is provisionally planned for September 2025.
T Levels in business and administration, construction, digital, education and childcare, engineering and manufacturing and health and science, will start at the college in September 2023.
Andrew Hartley, Deputy Chief Executive, The Sheffield College, said: “Our focus is on educating and training all of our students in the qualifications and skills that equip them to go further in their careers and which are in demand from employers.
“As part of that, we are pleased to be able to offer T Levels from September 2023 onwards. We welcome this funding, which will enable us to upgrade our catering and barbering facilities.”
The government has confirmed that 108 T Levels projects at further education providers nationally have been successful in their bids for specialist equipment.
Robert Halfon, Minister for Skills, Apprenticeship and Higher Education, said: “This boost of over £100 million is our latest investment in T Levels.
“These are robust, high quality technical qualifications providing a unique ladder of opportunity for students to gain both classroom knowledge and on-the-job experience.
“From robotics suites that support digital T Levels to simulated health wards where students can get a real sense of what it means to work in Healthcare Science, T Levels will support young people into rewarding careers and back businesses with the skills of the future.”
To find out more about T Levels at The Sheffield College, visit https://www.sheffcol.ac.uk/courses/t-levels.
Pictured: The Sheffield College has been awarded £500,000 for new catering and barbering facilities.
