John West, skills and training manager at UKFT, has been appointed by the Government to the panel that will develop the outline content for new T Levels for craft and design, which will encompass fashion and textiles.

T Levels, which will be on a par with A Levels, aim to provide young people with a high quality choice between technical and academic education post-16.

West joins the panel that will create the new technical education programmes for delivery in 2022 and 2023.

“Introducing T Levels is a once in a generation moment,” said Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton. “The direct experience of panel members will help to create gold-standard T Levels that give young people the skills that employers need.”

UKFT’s West joined UKFT in April last year and has since overseen a raft of new apprenticeship standards, which are now ready for delivery, including Level 2 Sewing Machinist, Level 2 Textile Manufacturing Operative and Level 5 Bespoke Tailor & Cutter.

UKFT acts as the secretariat and is also the external quality assurance organisation. The association became the sector skills body for the fashion and textiles industry in November last year, replacing skills development organisation Creative Skillset.