Published: 09 May 2024
Surveying companies are being sought to support sixth-forms and further education colleges offering a T Level Technical Qualification in Design, Surveying and Planning, with land survey skills being a key element of the curriculum.
The qualification has been designed as an alternative to academic study, with one T Level being equivalent in size to three A levels. T Levels place great emphasis on practical learning and need a minimum of 315 hours of work experience with an employer, alongside classroom theory.
Members of The Survey Association can help support surveyors of the future by providing work experience placements for students studying this qualification. Also, members can provide some additional professional expertise by offering their services as guest lecturers or speakers to the educational institutions involved.
T Levels were launched in 2020, designed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that their content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work. They focus on vocational skills and can help students into skilled employment, higher study or apprenticeships.
Katie Holt, Business Development Manager at The Survey Association, says,
“In addition to our longstanding support of the Geospatial Apprenticeships, we would be delighted if our members got involved with the T Level. This is clearly a great way of sparking young people’s interest in surveying as a career and ensuring that the early training they receive is in line with TSA’s high standards of practice, right from the start.
“With 140 FE or sixth form colleges up and down the country offering this qualification, there are clearly many opportunities for interested members. Whether they can provide work experience placements to students or offer some of their time to share their knowledge of modern surveying techniques, we would urge members to get in touch to find out how they can help to bridge the skills gap. It would be amazing if we could link up every college offering the Design Surveying and Planning T Level with a TSA member company for support.”
Surveyors at Greenhatch Group, have seen at firsthand the positive impact of getting involved in this educational programme. The company provides guest lecturers, free of charge, to six colleges, along with surveying equipment to teach the students the necessary skills the course requires. Greenhatch is currently hosting two T Level students on work experience placement and has so far provided full time employment to six former T Level students.
Robert Page, Managing Director, Greenhatch Group, says,
“We believe the Design, Surveying and Planning course is what our profession has been crying out for. When we go into the colleges we focus on educating the students to a level where they can set up a tripod over a survey marker, obtain measurements of a building façade, and then prepare a 2D CAD drawing of the elevation. This involves three to four sessions with cohorts of around 20 students. For us, our involvement in this programme has been really successful and it has become our main method of recruitment too.
“Greenhatch has been assisting six colleges throughout England since the inception of the Design, Surveying and Planning T-Level course, and the individuals, along with our company, are really starting to see the rewards of this engagement.”
The first student who undertook work experience with Greenhatch between December 2020 and June 2021 progressed to become a part-time employee (during their second year of the T-Level course) and then to a full-time employee. They are now in their second year of a Civil Engineering Degree, which is funded by the Apprenticeship Levy scheme.
Read more about one student’s experiences of studying the T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning with a placement at Greenhatch here.
Mr Page continues,
“Our engagement with the T-Level students enables Greenhatch to recruit individuals who have a desire to become qualified geospatial surveyors, and, together with Greenhatch ethos to develop and promote from within, we are producing enthusiastic and talented surveyors.
“Seven of the ten T-Level Students who have completed T-Level work placement are now in full-time employment with Greenhatch Group. This is currently 5% of our workforce, and if we can sustain this training programme and expand our skilled workforce over the next five years, we hope to have fifteen to twenty surveyors who have advanced from the T-Level courses.”
How can TSA Members get involved with T Levels?
Employers can get involved in T Levels in a number of ways; supporting the Awarding Organisation in the development and delivery of assessment and/ or supporting local providers with the delivery of the Industry Placement for T Level students. Find out more here.
To find out more about how to get involved, please contact Katie Holt by emailing katie@tsa-uk.org.uk.
The colleges Greenhatch have worked with are:
Cheshire College Ellesmere Port Campus
Derby College, Pride Park, Derby- Derby College Group
La Retraite Roman Catholic Girls’ School, Clapham, London – ISG Central Services Limited
Oakland College, St Albans.
Stephenson Campus Coalville – SMB College Group
West Kent College Of Further Education – ISG Central Services Limited
