The Sandwell Colleges Take T Levels on the Road with the Big Yellow Bus

The Sandwell Colleges’ Big Yellow T Level Bus is back on the road for National T Levels Week (19–23 October), bringing technical education to life for secondary school pupils across the Black Country and Birmingham.

The T Level Roadshow will roll into schools to showcase the exciting range of T Levels on offer at Sandwell College and Cadbury Sixth Form College including digital, health, building and surveying, engineering, marketing and others. The Big Yellow Bus give an opportunity for young people to get first-hand experience of the skills, experiences and career opportunities these special industry-focused qualifications can unlock.

Celebrating the ambitious success of T Level students at Sandwell College in West Bromwich and Cadbury Sixth Form College in Kings Norton, the roadshow will provide school pupils with the chance to hop aboard and meet expert staff, hear about some of the fabulous employers working with the Colleges to offer T Level placements, and experience a taste of industry immersion with a range of ‘have a go’ activities, such as:

• digital area mapping and basic block coding with a robot dog – for young people interested in Construction & Digital courses
• exploring physiology and human anatomy with iPads and physiology cubes – for learners interested in Health T Levels
• VR nursery simulation, plus an immersive sensory programme – for pupils interested in Education and Early Years careers
• 3D printed interactive engines and challenges – for young people interested in Engineering.

As part of the visits, young people and teaching staff will also be able to find out more about the Colleges industry standard campuses including the Learning Campus. A brand-new dedicated healthcare training facility located on the site of the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital where T level Health students can fully immerse themselves to learn in clinical settings with placement opportunities in the neighbouring hospital. 

Sandwell and Cadbury College School Liaison team and expert teaching staff will be busting T Level myths and explaining why these qualifications are a great option for students to take the next level qualification for a bright and successful future.

The Sandwell Colleges will be hosting events on campus to celebrate T Level Week, with guest speakers visiting the campuses from Speakers Trust and Balfour Beatty.

The week-long celebrations will culminate in an Employer Skills Pledge signing with Moundsley Hall Care Village who are advocates of T levels and have provided significant numbers of placements to support the T level Health programme at Cadbury Sixth Form College.

T Levels are two-year courses that young people can take following GCSEs. Broadly equivalent in size to 3 A Levels and accruing UCAS points, T Levels are developed in collaboration with employers to ensure that students will be equipped with the skills they need. They offer a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on the job’ experience with at least 45 days spent on an industry placement with an employer.

CEO and Principal of The Sandwell Colleges, Lisa Capper MBE said

“T Levels offer a high-quality technical qualification, developed in collaboration with employers to meet the evolving needs of industry. Combining classroom learning with valuable hands-on experience through industry placements and employer projects, they provide students with the knowledge, skills and confidence to progress into their chosen careers.

“Our Big Yellow Bus and T Level Roadshow, are back on the road, celebrating the success our excellent T Level Students who have progressed to great jobs, to university or to higher apprenticeships. With great results, out students showcase why they are such a brilliant

“pathway for young people currently looking at choices for the next step in their education and career journey.

“The T level Roadshow will highlight the value of T Levels to our school partners making it easier for them to guide pupils – and for their benefit to be seen and heard about first-hand.”

Minister for Skills Jacqui Smith said:

“This government is determined to give technical and vocational education the same status and recognition as the academic route. T Levels are showing what is possible when high-quality education is combined with meaningful industry experience, enabling more young people to gain the skills, knowledge and experience needed to thrive.”

The Sandwell Colleges are one of the largest providers of T Levels. They have been expanding their T Level provision since 2023 and across campuses now offer a varied range, including Digital Software Development, Health, Education & Early Years (Childcare), Engineering, Business Management, Cyber Security, Legal Services, Marketing, Media Broadcast & Production. And new for 2027, T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning will be available at both Cadbury and Sandwell College.