Bidding open to deliver education and childcare T-Level

Awarding bodies can bid for an ‘exclusive license’ to develop, deliver and award each of the first three T-Levels – Education and Childcare, Construction and Digital.

• What is the Education and Childcare T-level?
• Concerns over 'too short' T-Level placement
• The lowdown on the new vocational qualification

Just one awarding body for each T-Level subject will win the contract to develop, deliver and award the new vocational qualifications, an alternative to A-Levels and apprenticeships, from September 2020.

CACHE, the largest early years awarding body, is expected to put in a bid to run the Education and Childcare T-Level, as are City & Guilds and Pearson.

The winning bidder will further develop the outline content of the two-year, Level 3 vocational qualifications and design exams and assessments, which will be rolled out to the schools and colleges delivering the T-Levels.

The outline content of the Education and Childcare T-Level was produced by a T-Level panel of employers, professional bodies etc, and was based on the same standards as those used for apprenticeships.

The invitation to tender will close on 26 October. Contracts for the first three T-Levels are expected to be awarded next March.

Apprenticeships and skills minister Anne Milton said, ‘It is really important that we select the organisations with the right vision, to get the best for the young people taking new T- Levels. They will be key to upholding the quality of our reforms and making T Levels a success.

‘Since we started developing T Levels we have taken an open and collaborative approach, including sharing the draft procurement documents with the sector to give potential bidders a genuine opportunity to influence how this procurement works.

‘We want to continue working closely with them every step of the way so we get this once in a lifetime opportunity right.’