T Level Digital Support and Security – Cybersecurity

In today's digital-first world, both private and public organisations rely heavily on IT systems and networks to operate efficiently and securely. When these systems are compromised—whether by technical faults or malicious attacks—it's essential to have skilled professionals who can respond quickly and protect critical data and infrastructure.

This course is designed for students who are passionate about protecting systems, preventing cyber threats, and solving real-world security challenges. You'll gain hands-on experience in identifying vulnerabilities, monitoring network activity, and implementing security measures to safeguard digital environments.

While the course also covers digital support fundamentals, the emphasis is on cyber security roles—defending systems, managing risks, and ensuring resilience. You'll learn how to:

· Detect and respond to cyber threats

· Understand common attack methods and prevention strategies

· Monitor systems for suspicious activity

· Maintain secure access and data protection

· Support users with secure digital practices

The core part of the qualification will give you a strong foundation in IT and security concepts, preparing you for a career in cyber security, network defence, or further study in digital protection technologies.

Overview

The core part of the qualification will cover a range of areas, giving you a vital underpinning knowledge of concepts and the skills that you'll need in this industry.

The core elements of digital will cover a host of themes including the following:

Problem solving

Introduction to digital support

Data

Legislation and regulatory requirements

Emerging issues

Digital environments

Security
Business context

At least 5 GCSEs grades 4-9 with grade 5 in maths, English and Computer science (if studied).

The T Level is made up of three components: Core, Occupational Specialism and Industry Placement.

Core is made up of two written papers and a practical called the Employer Set Project (ESP). Core papers are sat at the end of first year and are 2-2.5 hours long. The ESP is broken down into several tasks and is assessed over two weeks in the first year. Core makes up 50% of your final grade and focuses on assessing your Knowledge and some Skills from the course.

Occupational Specialism is assessed via an Occupational Specialism Project (OS). This is a large practical project lasting 37 and a half hours broken down into several assessment tasks and sat over the second half of the second year. The Occupational Specialism makes up 50% of your final grade and focuses on assessing your Skills and some Knowledge from the course such as: Setting up and managing virtual machines and digital environments; writing appraisals and risk assessments and communicating with technical and non-technical users.

Industry Placement

The work placement will be over 45 days. You will have the opportunity to work with one or two employers within in the IT industry over 45 days. Your work placement could be one or two days a week, or over several weeks. We have partnerships with many digital organisations and placements are offered based on the success of a series of interviews conducted by the college and the employer.

Upon successful completion of this qualification, you may progress on to a degree apprenticeship, an apprenticeship or entry-level job in the IT support and networking sector.

Alternatively, you will be able to progress onto a Higher Education course with our partner UCEN Manchester and complete a Foundation Degree in Software Development, Network Security, Network Engineering or with an optional top-up year to earn a BSc (Hons) degree.
Career opportunities include:

Cyber Security Analyst

Incident Response Analyst

Threat Intelligence Analyst

Digital Forensics Assistant

Risk and Compliance Analyst

Penetration Tester (Ethical Hacker)

If you need help with affording college, there are a number of different finance and funding options available to you. You might be eligible for special bursary support or extra help from the government. Have a look at our fees, finance & funding page to find out all the information you need.

Do you have a burning question about this course, or would you like to know more about the qualification you'll receive and how it will help your career?

Our course enquiries team is on hand to help you understand any details and answer any questions – whether it's about applying for the course or finding out about finance. Just get in touch here!