Construction (Design, Surveying and Planning) – Architecture T Level

T Levels combine classroom theory, practical learning and a minimum 315-hour industry placement with an employer to make sure you have real experience of the workplace. The Technical Qualification (TQ) is the main classroom-based element of the T Level and will see you learn from a curriculum that has been shaped by industry experts. T Level courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content will meet the needs of industry and prepare you for work. They provide the knowledge and experience needed to open the door to highly skilled employment, an apprenticeship or higher-level study, including university.

This is a two-year programme. The first year incorporates the core component – covering the core knowledge topics that underpin each career route available for the sector, and the second year focuses on the occupational specialism (Design, Surveying and Planning) that will allow you to enter skilled employment within a specific occupation.

The core component provides a broad understanding of the construction industry and covers the following construction-related topics:
– Construction principles
– Construction design
– Tendering and estimating
– Health and safety in construction
– Construction technology
– Projects in construction
– Surveying in construction
– Graphical detailing
– Building regulations
– Law
– Commercial business
– Science
– Sustainability
– Construction maths

During your second year, you will study Surveying and Design for Construction and the Built Environment as your Occupational Specialism.
– Measuring the built environment
– Analysing the built environment
– Designing the built environment
– Verifying the delivery of the built environment
– Surveying (digital surveying and plotting to a CAD program such as Revit or AutoCAD)

You will also undertake a 315-hour (minimum) industry placement. This is organised through the college placement team and can include a placement of your choice, as long as it is industry relevant.

This Technical Qualification has been developed in consultation with employers in the construction industry to ensure you learn the skills and behaviours that will give you the best opportunity to be successful when applying for work. As part of this qualification, you will also enhance your broader skills in literacy and numeracy, which will be invaluable in supporting progression in other areas. In addition, you will develop transferable technical and practical skills in communication (working with colleagues, customers and clients), research and project work, providing you with an opportunity to demonstrate your reflective practice by suggesting alternative approaches to a problem.

The construction industry is of global importance and worth £90 billion annually in the UK. The impact that the construction industry has on daily life is diverse, from domestic building, maintenance and the provision of key building services, to large projects in civil engineering, providing essential public infrastructure in the form of roads, schools and hospitals. All careers in construction require good communication skills, time management, a strong customer focus and the ability to work both in teams and with other trades. The skills learned for craft trades lead not only to a rewarding career but can also be used as a foundation from which to progress to advanced craft, technician, supervisory or management occupations, where established professional development routes and occupational standards exist.