£150m capital fund to support wave-five T-level providers

The Department for Education continues to support new providers preparing for T-levels through both professional development opportunities for teachers, and significant funding for new facilities and specialist equipment to support the delivery of the industry-focused curriculum.

Providers in the fifth wave of the T-level roll out are being invited to bid for £150million to help upgrade their facilities and purchase specialist equipment. Over £400million has been made available to date, enabling T-level providers to ensure young people have access to industry-standard equipment and high-quality facilities to gain the skills and knowledge demanded by employers. The wave five capital funding is an additional £150m to support providers delivering from September 2024 to purchase specialist equipment and to fund new builds or refurbishments. Guidance is available on how providers can apply and the relevant deadlines: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/t-levels-capital-fund 

Alongside this welcome investment it is important that teaching staff have the relevant knowledge to make the best use of new equipment. Gatsby’s Technical Education Networks programme is developing support for T-level teachers by undertaking research, publishing route-specific teaching materials, and hosting route conferences to support networks. One early project will showcase good practice in the use of specialist equipment to bring the classroom closer to industry. This work will focus around five routes: Agriculture, environmental and animal care; Construction and the built environment; Digital; Engineering and manufacturing; Health and science. The aim is to build case studies of specialist equipment being used to help teachers develop their industry-focused curriculum.

If you would like more information about this research, please contact Charlie Moss, Head of FE Curriculum Support: charlie.moss@gatsby.org.uk