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Key details

Course areas
Computing, IT and EsportsT Levels
Student type
16 - 18 courses
Course type
Full-time Further Education course
Course level
Level 3
Start date
Tuesday 1st September 2026
Location
City Hub 111 Canal Street, Nottingham, NG1 7HB
Course code
Parent course code:C057600 Child course code: Q057601
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Course introduction

A T Level is a composite technical study programme, aimed at preparing young people for work, higher level apprenticeships or higher education (HE).

Students will learn about the following topics:

  • problem solving
  • programming
  • emerging issues and impact of digital
  • legislation and regulatory requirements
  • business context
  • data
  • digital environments
  • security

The purpose of the T Level Technical Qualification in Digital Production, Design and Development is to ensure you have the knowledge and skills needed to progress into highly skilled employment, an Apprenticeship or higher-level study, including university, within the specialist area of software design and development.

At the end of the Technical Qualification, you will be expected to demonstrate threshold competence, which means that you have gained the core knowledge and skills related to software design and development and are well placed to develop full occupational competence with additional development and support once in employment in the digital sector.

Threshold competence refers to a level of competence that:

  • signifies that you are well placed to develop full occupational competence, with further support and development, once in employment
  • is as close to full occupational competence as can be reasonably expected of a student studying the T Level in a classroom-based setting (for example, in the classroom, workshops, simulated working and (where appropriate) supervised working environments)
  • signifies that you have achieved at least a pass in relation to the relevant occupational specialism component.

This course will be taught at our City Hub campus where you will have access to fantastic facilities and state-of-the-art virtual learning technologies and equipment.

The course also includes a minimum of 9 weeks industry placement.

Course information

2 years

T Level Technical Qualification in Digital Software Development

You’ll need a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grades 9–4, including English, Maths, or a relevant Level 2 IT qualification with GCSE English and Maths at grades 9–4. You also will need to attend an interview, to ensure you have the sufficient IT knowledge and skills required to enrol on this course.

This course is for students aged 16-18 only

Core component:

  • 2 written examinations
  • employer-set project (ESP)

In order to achieve a grade for the core component, you must have results for both sub-components (the core (written) examination and the ESP).

The combined results from these sub-components will be aggregated to form the overall core component grade (A*–E and U).

If you fail to reach the minimum standard across all sub-components, you will receive a U grade. No overall grade will be issued for the core component until both sub-components have been attempted.

Occupational specialism component:

  • Externally set project

You will also be required to successfully achieve a distinction/merit/pass grade in the occupational specialism component. If you fail to reach the specified level of attainment, you will receive a U grade.

This Technical Qualification aligns to the Software Development Technician Level 3 Apprenticeship and therefore supports progression to entry-level job opportunities in software design and development.

Job roles could include:

  • Software Development Technician
  • Junior Developer
  • Junior Web Developer
  • Junior Application Developer
  • Junior Mobile App Developer
  • Junior Games Developer
  • Junior Software Developer
  • Junior Application Support Analyst
  • Junior Programmer
  • Assistant Programmer
  • Automated Test Developer

The jobs available to the students will be based on their individual abilities in the digital sector and will be supported by their achievement of this qualification.

Students aged 16-18 don't have to pay tuition fees.

If you are an EU/EEA or Swiss National, please visit our EU Settled Status scheme page for more information.

Careers related to this course

Select career:

IT Managers

Potential Earnings

£80,901.63

Average Earnings

£48,099.00

Source: Office for National Statistics' Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE).

Pathways

Information and Communication Technology

People in these occupations manage and analyze technical information and communication systems, provide user support, and plan, build, and test applications and systems.

Skills

Active Learning

Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Monitoring

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
View more about this career

Economic data for careers is provided by Lightcast and also available through our Career Coach app. Job postings, employment and earnings information is represented at the regional level for the East Midlands.

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