Construction: Building Services Design T-level

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This course is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in the technical and practical aspects of building services engineering including heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems.

What will I study in Construction: Building Services Design T-level?

Building Services Design

The core includes information on careers such as Planning, Architecture, Quantity Surveying and Construction Management. You will learn the same material as the students on the Civil Engineering or Surveying pathway, at least for the first year. You will learn to carry out surveys, use CAD and draw by hand to communicate your ideas to an imaginary client.

You will also learn a lot of skills that will prepare you for the work placement.

In this specialist component, you will:

Learn about the science and maths behind heating, cooling and powering a building.

Produce project management documentation for a given project using relevant software, establishing information required from various sources such as design information and quality assurance data.

Complete design calculations based on given information for a building services engineering project, justify a design solution and use CAD and annotated sketches to produce project plans. Incorporate green technologies such as heat pumps and solar PV into your designs.

Produce a servicing maintenance and replacement schedule for a proposed building services engineering solution. Analyse tender prices and variations for a given building services engineering project, presenting findings.

Entry Requirements

The course is not a practical, trade-based course, so be prepared for quite a lot of academic content. It is aimed at those who wish to pursue a career in construction at a professional level.

Five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, all from the basket subjects including English Language and Maths.

Students with a Grade 4 in Maths will be enrolled on Maths GCSE (Higher Tier) to help you with the course.

What is the T-level industry placement?

The Industry Placement

Your industry placement gives you a great opportunity to put your learning into practice and develop your technical skills and knowledge for the industry your placement is in. It will help you to progress once you have finished your T-level, whether that is directly into employment, an apprenticeship, or more education.

This is a compulsory part of your T-level, and you must complete it to get your T-level certificate. You will spend a minimum of 315 hours on your placement, or 750 hours for Childcare and Education T-level students.

How will I learn?

The T-Level is very different to the average A' Level course. It can be very academically demanding at times. An aptitude for independent study is essential. Some of the activities you would do are listed below:

Classwork with regular written assignments to do as homework
Case studies of recent or ongoing construction and civil engineering projects such as HS2
Group work and solo/group presentations to the class and wider audiences
Surveying practice on the college fields
Work experience is a key part of the course and you spend at least 20% of your time with an employer
Careers talks from construction industry professionals
Trips to visit finished buildings or site visits to see construction taking place

How will I be assessed?

Core

2 written papers. 2 1/2 hours each
An employer-set project of 15 hours duration which requires you to design and draw a new building

Specialism

You will study an Occupational Specialism, chosen from Design and Surveying, Building Services Design or Civil Engineering. You will complete an assessed project of 30 hours duration in year 2, based on your chosen specialism.
You also need to have passed your GCSE Maths and English and have completed at least 315 hours of work placement to complete the T-Level.

Any trips?

We aim to visit as many local buildings and construction sites of interest as we can. Most trips will be fairly short and local. We are considering trips abroad in the future. Remember, you will also be on work placement for at least 9 weeks.

Are there any costs involved?

FAQs

What sort of career/ higher education can this course lead to?

The T level is aimed at those who have a strong desire to work at the management level in the construction industry. It can also lead to a degree course, in say, engineering, architecture, surveying or planning. It is NOT the right type of course if you wish to learn a trade such as carpentry, bricklaying or plumbing.

The T Level carries UCAS points that can be used to go to University. E.g. Cardiff uni will accept this T level to do architecture, as long as you get a distinction (equivalent of 3 x A at A' Level)

It is important to check the entry requirements if you have a desire to go to a specific university.

Is the course practical?

Not so much in college, but you may find that your work placement includes some practical work. Bear in mind that this is not a practical course, and we are training designers, rather than installers.

Do I have to find my own work placement?

Yes, we recommend you do. We cannot guarantee that we can find one for you but will try our best to assist.

Can I do an A Level alongside a T Level?

No, the T Level is the equivalent of 3 A Levels, so you would not have time to do even one A Level. For this reason, you need to be really sure it is the right choice for you.

Do I have to have some knowledge of construction?

No, but we would expect you to have done your research and are fully committed to a construction related career. We don't do anything else!