Digital Support Services T-levels

5+ GCSEs at Grade 4 or above from the core subjects, including English Language and Maths.

If you have completed GCSE computing we would expect at least a Grade 4 to show interest in the industry.

The course splits into key knowledge, skills, and behaviours - We introduce a set of topics using a real-world case study for students to explore the impacts choices and practices have had in the past before moving into a mix of lectures and labs. Each lesson contains a lectured element to introduce a new concept followed by either a solo or group activity to explore this knowledge. This can take the form of a report, practical task, or group discussion.

Your T-Level is made up of three components: Core, Specialism and Placement.

The core is made up of two written papers and a practical called the Employer Set Project (ESP). Core papers are sat at the end of the first year and are 2-2.5 hours long. The ESP is broken down into several tasks and is assessed over two weeks and is sat in the November of second year. Core makes up 50% of your final grade and focuses on assessing your Knowledge and some Skills from the course such as: The impact of digitification on culture and inclusion; exploring digital in a business context; understanding and applying security principles; and applying root cause analysis and troubleshooting.

Specialism is assessed via an Occupational Specialism Project (OSP). This is a large practical project lasting roughly 30 hours broken down into several assessment tasks and sat over the second half of the second year. Specialism makes up 50% of your final grade and focuses on assessing your Skills and some Knowledge from the course such as: Setting up and managing virtual machines and digital environments; writing appraisals and risk assessments; and communicating with technical and non-technical users.

Placement is a mandatory part of the qualification, covering over 315 hours at a digital work placement. You need to show "good" levels of behaviour throughout your placement through a series of workplace reviews conducted by the college and your employer. Your course allows one day a week (set at the start of each year) and two two-week blocks per year to help support you with time to do this. Placement doesn't affect your grade, but is required to achieve the qualification as a whole, and is used to develop your Skills and Behaviours in the workplace.

Digital T-Levels have a teambuilding day in the first term to help students form good working bonds. We also offer one educational visit to an establishment each year and hold a celebratory practical investigation into the Internet of Things at the end of the first year (we go to laser tag). Each of these trips is roughly £35 and there will be up to three offered each year.

There is a small course booklet that students should keep hold of with a small cost attached from our printing department. Course textbooks are available from the Library or for purchase on Amazon and are highly recommended to succeed in this course. A computer/laptop isn't a requirement but access to one at home would be useful for revision and different tasks, study spaces are available for use at the college.

NCFE