T-levels, introduced in 2020, are vocational qualifications aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds, external, which focus more on practical subjects than academic ones.
Each course lasts two years and is roughly equivalent to three A-levels.
The qualification includes a mixture of both classroom learning and on-the-job experience, with a work placement of at least 315 hours – or about nine weeks – making up roughly 20% of the course.
T-levels are designed to cater for students who want an alternative to A-levels but do not wish to take an apprenticeship, which usually requires as much as 80% of a student’s time to be spent with an employer.
Final grades are based on a combination of exams, coursework and completion of the industry placement.
In 2023, the overall pass rate for the 3,448 students taking the qualification was 90.5% (3,119).
But figures show that only two-thirds completed the course (5,210 students began a T-level three years ago).
The Department for Education (DfE) said it was “quite normal” for students to switch to different courses after enrolment, and it is working with providers to understand more about what can be done to improve retention.