A new school examination called the T level will be the first national education programme creating an introduction to dentistry. The course will follow GCSEs and can be taken as an alternative to A levels. It is due to be introduced in 2021.

Completion of a T level will permit young people, especially those going on to an apprenticeship, to gain accredited prior learning for their study to date, providing them with an opportunity to complete their mandatory training in a quicker time.

When the time comes for T levels to be introduced, local dental committees, dental hospitals, large dental corporates, large dental laboratory owners and local workforce action boards are encouraged to liaise with their local education providers to ensure that the dental skill sets are not forgotten about.

For more on T levels, read Mike Wheeler's article in the June issue of BDJ Team.

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