Planting the Seeds of the Future

How T Levels Are Transforming Farming Careers at Shuttleworth College

As the country marks National T Level Week, Shuttleworth College, part of The Bedford College Group, is celebrating the students who are sowing the seeds of tomorrow’s farming success through its innovative T Levels in Agriculture. These qualifications are cultivating the next generation of skilled, passionate and forward-thinking farmers who will shape the future of British agriculture for years to come.

T Levels represent an old standard in technical education, nationally recognised qualifications that combine academic learning with hands-on industry experience, which have been developed in collaboration with employers to ensure students gain the right skills, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in the modern workforce. For those looking to build a career in farming, these qualifications are a direct pathway into one of the UK’s most vital and rewarding industries.

Set within the rolling countryside of Bedfordshire, Shuttleworth College offers ambitious young people the chance to turn their enthusiasm for the land into a thriving career through two specialist T Level pathways: Crop & Plant Production and Livestock Production. With optional on-site accommodation available, students can choose to live and learn in the heart of the countryside while gaining hands-on experience. These qualifications are ideal for those who want to combine a love of the outdoors with the science, technology, and business of modern agriculture.

At the heart of Shuttleworth’s agricultural training is its working Kingshill Farm, a 166-hectare site featuring arable cropping of winter wheat, spring oats, seed peas, sugar beet and a further 100 hectare of permanent pasture for grazing. Here, students swap theory for practice as they drive, calibrate and maintain machinery, study soil, and plant science, and learn about crop management in a genuine farm environment.

For those enrolled on the Livestock Production T Level, students get to work with 60, High Health status Red Poll Cattle and 300 breeding ewes, where they will be focusing on animal welfare, business management and sustainable production, developing a comprehensive understanding of how to manage livestock ethically and efficiently in a modern farming context.

“Our T Level students aren’t just learning about farming, they’re living it,”

said Shane Durham, Head of School Farm and commercial courses at Shuttleworth College.

“By studying on a fully operational farm and working alongside industry professionals, they gain hands-on experience that brings their learning to life. These T Levels are about more than learning to farm; they’re about developing skilled, confident individuals who will lead the way in sustainable food production, protect our environment, and ensure the future of British agriculture.”

Farming remains one of the UK’s most vital industries, but it is also one that is rapidly evolving. From smart machinery and precision planting to sustainable food systems and climate resilience, the future of farming demands innovation, and that’s exactly what Shuttleworth’s T Level students are being trained to deliver.

As National T Level Week celebrates the power of technical education, Shuttleworth College stands proudly as an industry leader showing how practical, skills-based learning can open the gate to meaningful, fulfilling and future-proof careers in agriculture.

For more information on Agriculture and other T Level courses available at Shuttleworth College and across The Bedford College Group, visit:

https://bedfordcollegegroup.ac.uk/study/school-leavers/tlevels/