T-Level vs C&G Advanced Technical Extended Diploma (1080)

[2smellysocks]

DS looking at going to agricultural college to do horticulture. One college does T-Level, the other does C&G.

I know both are equivalent to 3 A-Levels and take 2 years. But what are the differences? Is one better than the other? Does one suit a certain type of learner over another? What do employers currently prefer? What about long term prospects? Anything else worth mentioning/discussing?

I’ve head a lot of scare stories about T-Levels that make me a bit wary of them. I also am aware that the C&G is at risk of loosing government finding.

Feel free to ask me questions is more info is required.

I've taught a lot of BTEC, not in agriculture though and I would say go for C and G. It's been around for decades, maybe longer, employers know what it is, teachers have been teaching it for decades.

I believe (personally, not everyone does) that T Levels will go the way of AVCE and GNVQ.

Have you even heard of either of those qualifications?

Sorry I'm starting to rant now but BTEC and C and G have stood the test of time because they are good, they have changed over the years in response to
employers.

I have no idea why different governments have tried to make different vocational qualifications when we already have them.

Rant over.

Things to consider.
. Are the entrance requirements the same?
. How does the 'placement' requirement of the T-Level work?
. How long have they been running the T-Level?
. How are each assessed, will one have more 'exams' versus assignments?
. Which units do each of them teach, which looks more interesting/useful?

Impressed you have 2 within reach to choose from!

We have been very happy with Sparsholt on a different course and lower level if that is one of your options.

Thanks for the advice. I’ve dug out the specs for him to have a read of and he can see which interests him the most once he’s read the full content.

He’s on track to achieve and exceed entry requirements for both courses but it’s suggesting the T-Level is slightly more academic.

I’ve done a quick comparison of all questions raised so far because they were good questions. (More for my notes really but if anyone has time to offer any insights/deeper meanings in this that would be appreciated).

The C&G -

• 4 GCSEs at Grade 4 including English, maths and science.
• 3 theory exams, 2 synoptic assignments, work based portfolio, project assignment and then assignments in all the other units. Looks like this is assessed throughout.
• Option of doing 1 year and getting a 1.5 A level equivalent.
• 3 days in college and a day on work experience
• Help to get work placements (150 hours minimum required although college did say they usually manage to get people on work experience, including paid work experience, for the full 2 years and their averages for work experience for the learners are around 400 hours). They also have links with lots of places which they send learners to year after year.
• Been running this for who even knows how many years.

T-Level -

• 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 including English, maths and science.
• 2 exams, a project and one assignment. Looks like this is all assessed towards the end.
• Must do both years and no qualification if they leave after the first year.
• 4 days in college and a day on work experience
• Help to get work placements (315 hours). I have no additional info on this other than I know in the latest OFSTED it was reported that there was some concern over lack of work placements on T-Levels but they recognised it was early in the year and the course was newly implemented. They used to offer the C&G as well so the colleges have said they have used existing connections from that to help learners into placements.
• Been running this since September 2024.

I believe (personally, not everyone does) that T Levels will go the way of AVCE and GNVQ.

Personally I do have my suspicions. No I hadn’t heard of AVCE - I had to Google that one (I have heard of GNVQ). I have seen how the government are pulling some T-levels and I know our local (non-agre) college is trying to hold onto C&G and BTEC as long as possible due to T-Level placement issues, completion rates falling due to drop outs because of content and/or method of assessment and therefore people leaving after one year with no quals and transferring to BTEC/C&G courses (they tried a few but aren’t offering them next September but these aren’t anything land based, so potentially different? I don’t know).

Personally T-Levels just worry me but this could just be all down to the experience our local college has had with them, how new they are and the unfamiliarity of them.

Impressed you have 2 within reach to choose from!

We actually don’t have any within daily travelling distance. Our nearest is 2 hours away in the car. (With the exception of a small satellite campus which doesn’t offer the course he wants and is still an hour away in the car). Which is frankly makes no sense considering we live in a rural county (they closed our agricultural college a few years ago).

We knew that he was going to have to live at college if that’s the course and direction he wanted to go in, so in one way it actually opened up his pool of options because if he has to live there, then it doesn’t really matter which one he goes to. We explored the idea for a while and looked into colleges on websites. We found 4 that offered the type and level of course he wanted, had accommodation and also accepted under 18s at the weekends (he wouldn’t be able to come home every weekend for some of the further away ones). So we visited at all 4 and narrowed it down to 2 which he would be comfortable living at.

That's good he is up for boarding. Ours is 30mins in the car, and an hour door to door by the college bus.

Ask the colleges to confirm which of the 'optional' units they teach, as that can make a big difference.

How will access to work experience work if he is boarding?

I’d be looking at what he wants to do after and how the destinations of students match that

C&g technical, no question about it. For all the reasons above. It's not perfect, but it's better than a T level. First year of T level has minimal content to the subject area. Animal course and one of the assessments (which involved writing a report under exam conditions, a peer review session and write a presentation and be recorded presenting it) was on waste management or something. They are not fit for purpose. Stay away!