After finishing school, Timofejs Amelins knew that he wanted to be a programmer. He decided to enrol onto Leicester College’s T level course in Digital Production, Design and Development to help kickstart his career.

Leicester College ‘was the best choice for me’

Timofejs says that he chose Leicester College due to its supportive staff and the fact that its T level course offered more programming than similar courses at other colleges in the area.

“I opted for a T level instead of traditional A levels because the T level combines classroom learning with a 45-day placement, working for a real company,” he says. “I spent about 80% of the course in blended-learning classrooms, learning the necessary skills, knowledge and experience that I was then able to take into my placement. Working for a real company gave me some real life experience and helped me to focus on key areas that appealed to me the most.”

Timofejs enjoyed a challenging but well-rounded course which helped him take his skills to the next level and prepared him well for life in a real work environment.

“The core component is all about computer science, which teaches the skills necessary to learn the occupational specialism component, and this involves analysis, design and web development,” Timofejs says. “I also learned seven coding languages and two frameworks which will especially prepare me for the world of work and advancing in my career.”

Preparing for the workplace

Wanting to ensure that he took advantage of all that the College could offer him, Timofejs also elected to take a part-time core maths course to boost his maths skills from GCSE level to Level 3.

“Maths is a core skill that employers value and is always relevant to any career,” Timofejs continues. “The course helped to develop my problem solving and communication skills even further, and the assessments tested my ability to use maths to solve real-life problems, which will be a huge benefit for me when I apply for jobs.”

Timofejs’ short term plans include doing some voluntary work as he applies for jobs.

“I am also looking into doing self-paced online courses and projects around my course, just to increase my understanding and boost my chances of getting a job. I’m hoping this will increase my chances of starting my career, sooner rather than later.”

T levels are worth it

T levels students spend around 80% of their time in the classroom and 20% on a work placement, which Leicester College helps them secure. They are a suitable option for anyone who knows which career path they want to follow and wants to get a blend of both classroom and on-the-job learning to prepare to work, further training or higher education.

“T levels are a really good way of gaining qualifications as well as learning practical skills on the job,” Timofejs says. “This means you can develop employability and life skills, which I found to be more beneficial than a traditional college or university course that would offer the same qualification.

“I would recommend doing a T level because there are so many benefits. Not only could you get the chance to earn some money and develop your range of skills, but you can put yourself ahead of other students and fast track yourself into a career a lot quicker.”