8th September 2026
Every T Level student at BDC passed their qualification in the 2025/26 academic year, recording a 100% pass rate for T Levels.
T Levels are two-year technical qualifications for young people who have completed their GCSEs. Equivalent to three A Levels, they combine classroom learning with substantial experience in the workplace and provide an alternative to A Levels, other post-16 courses and apprenticeships.
Students
spend approximately 80% of their course developing technical knowledge and
practical skills at college and 20% completing a 45-day placement with an
employer. The qualifications were developed with more than 200 businesses and
employers to ensure students gain the skills and experience needed by industry.
Alongside specialist knowledge relating to their chosen career, T Level students develop relevant maths, English, digital and wider workplace skills. The qualifications can lead directly to employment, an apprenticeship or higher education.
Among the students celebrating was Engineering T Level student Harvey McLaughlin, who has already made his mark as one of the UK’s top young engineers.
Harvey won gold at the WorldSkills UK Finals in Additive Manufacturing, competing against some of the country’s best young talent in the field.
He has now added a Merit in his Engineering T Level to his achievements and is hoping to continue his career through an engineering apprenticeship.
Harvey collected his results alongside his dad in August. He said: “I’m really happy. T Levels are hard work but that hard work has paid off. This will help me with my engineering apprenticeship.”
Harvey’s result follows an exceptional year in which his technical skills have taken him from the classroom to the national stage through WorldSkills UK.
Natalie Davison, Principal and CEO of Barking & Dagenham College, said: “We are delighted with these results and particularly pleased to see a 100% pass rate for our T Level students. Vocational education is about much more than achieving a qualification. It is about developing the knowledge, technical ability and confidence that young people need to move into their chosen careers. Harvey is a fantastic example of that. His success at WorldSkills UK, combined with his T Level achievement, shows what talented young people can accomplish when they are given the opportunity to develop their skills to a high level. We are incredibly proud of Harvey and of all our students who have worked so hard to achieve their qualifications.”
Students are now progressing into employment, apprenticeships, higher education and further study.
Barking & Dagenham College also offers a T Level Transition Programme for students who would like to progress to a T Level but do not yet have the required qualifications. More information about T Levels.
