A coastal college has been selected to offer five new T Level courses from 2022.

Helping students to achieve the skills they need to thrive in the workplace, East Coast College has been selected to deliver the new T Level courses from September 2022.

The new two-year courses are high-quality technical alternatives to A Levels which combine classroom theory, practical learning and a work placement to ensure students’ skills meet the needs of their industry.

The college has been approved to offer T Levels in Education and Childcare, Digital, Health and Science, Engineering and Manufacturing, which will operate from its Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth campuses.

Stuart Rimmer, chief executive of East Coast College, said: “To be awarded the ability to run five T Levels shows huge confidence by the Department of Education in us as a college.

“This proves that East Coast College continues to be unrivalled in providing vocational and technical education in the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft area, backed by employers and delivered by the very best teaching staff in industry standard facilities going ‘beyond the classroom’.”

T Levels will become one of the main choices for students after completing their GCSEs and will complement the apprenticeships offered at East Coast College for those who wish to learn a specific occupation ‘on the job’ and A Levels offered at Lowestoft Sixth Form College for students who wish to continue academic education.

In order to be approved to deliver the courses, the college had to apply to the Department for Education demonstrating a positive commitment from local employers and detailing the specialist kit and staff expertise the college can offer.

This was backed by the college’s recent Good Ofsted rating and strong financial position.

Eighty-eight new providers have been selected to deliver T Levels from September 2022, providing the knowledge and experience needed to open the door into skilled employment, further study or a higher apprenticeship.

Selected colleges, schools and other providers across England will start rolling out the first three T Levels this September, with a further seven offered in 2021 before the full 18 courses are available to study in 2022.