Celebrating the start of the second year of the Agriculture, Land Management and Production T Level

How a new T Level option is already showing results for learners and colleges in the agriculture, environment and animal care space.

09 October 2024

This September the first set of learners are embarking on their second year of the Agriculture, Land Management and Production (ALMP) pathway of the Agriculture, Environmental and Animal Care T Level. 

For the colleges delivering the new T Level across any of the four core pathways: 

• Horticulture, Crop Production, Trees and Woodlands
• Floristry
• Land-based Engineering 
• And Livestock Production 

there is plenty to reflect on and plenty to celebrate as they prepare for year two of delivery. 

Learners are already benefitting from the broad curriculum and industry experience that make up the T Level programme and with more colleges expected to take up the ALMP pathway in 2024, we’re looking forward to seeing the qualification go from strength to strength

Following a ministerial announcement and feedback from stakeholders, The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has requested the inclusion of pig skills in the Livestock Occupational Specialism (OS), to better prepare learners for diverse roles within the sector. Learners registering from September 2024 onwards will be assessed against this new Livestock OS. 

Find out about the timeline for these changes and the support we will provide in our blog post.

 

ALMP provider success stories

Preparing to deliver a new qualification or programme is a lot of work, but colleges and learners are already seeing the positives. Jacob Payne, a student completing the Horticulture pathway has already received recognition for his work and abilities, securing the BPOA- British Protected Ornamentals Association Peter Seabrook Scholarship, while others have also showcased the opportunities the new T Level is offering only one year in. 

Cirencester College’s Horticulture learners have already had invaluable experiences in their first year of learning, working on a floral display for the 75th anniversary of the Badminton Horse Trials in a project with Hortico Plant Centre and visiting RHS Garden Rosemoor and the Eden Project on a residential trip and ALMP learners at Northumberland College are now able to train in a newly developed sheep management centre, refurbished using the DfE’s T Level capital fund.

The inclusion of the industry placement as part of the T Level is proving to be a significant benefit for learners and employers. Helen Martin of Bishop Burton College spoke to Farmers Weekly about the value of the placement for learner development.

“The exposure for students to workplace situations develops and builds a wealth of additional social skills that will give them a real edge in terms of employability. They learn to interact with colleagues and engage with external suppliers, work as part of a team dynamic and use their initiative to handle the social nuances of workplace environments. These soft skills are hugely appealing to prospective employers and highly valued by universities.”

 

Preparing for year two and beyond

In the second year of the course learners will start to focus on their chosen occupational specialism, working to gain the knowledge, skills and behaviours that will set them up to either progress into land-based roles or onto higher education. 

For ALMP to succeed in the long term it’s vital that every organisation and individual involved in delivery is able to not only fulfil their own role but also collaborate effectively.

We are committed to continuing to work closely with providers to deliver support and resources to enable a smoother delivery and work towards positive learner outcomes. Providers can rely on the support of both our Technical Advisors who bring a wealth of experience in the animal and land sector and our regional Business Development Managers who can support with all aspects of skills development and any changes to funding or policy that might impact delivery. 

As well as the guidance and advice that can be sought directly from our customer support teams there are also a wide range of resources available for providers on our online Resource Hub. Covering every step of the T Level journey from approval to post-results services, the Resource Hub contains PDF guides, FAQs and videos to support staff through planning, teaching and assessment.

We also run events throughout the year both in-person and as online webinars, the details of which can be found on our events and webinars page. In addition to providing key information and expert guidance from our teams, these events also offer an invaluable opportunity to meet and network with other providers and share practical tips and advice with other centres in the same position. 

Find out more about the Agriculture, Land Management and Production T Level TQ