Next Steps for
School Leavers

What are T Levels?

T Levels are high-quality technical alternatives to A Levels. They are a great option if you want to mix classroom learning with extensive real industry experience. They’re two-year qualifications with a 45-day industry placement built in so you’ll finish your course career-ready.

We offer T Levels in:

• Animal Care and Management
• Business Management and Finance
• Construction
• Craft and Design
• Digital 
• Education and Early Years
• Engineering and Manufacturing
• Health and Healthcare Science
• Media, Broadcast and Production

Why not take our T Level quiz to find out which route might be best for you?

T Level Foundation Year

If you don't quite achieve the grades for a T Level but would still like to pursue one, there's the option of a one-year T Level Foundation Year. This will allow you to move on to a T Level the following year and gain a qualification at the same time*.

*Subject to meeting the course requirements.

T Award

Students on a T Level are eligible for the 'T Award', a package of benefits that includes:

• £300 per year bursary*  
• Free branded workwear
• Industry-standard laptop
• Minimum 45-day industry placement
• Guaranteed progression to a Higher Education course at UCEN Manchester
• Bursary incentive if progressing to UCEN Manchester
• Minimum 20% delivery by industry experts
• Digital upskilling and masterclasses
• Opportunity to take part in college-wide competitions

*Subject to requirements including 95% attendance, positive attitude and grade profile.

What are vocational courses?

Vocational courses are centred around work-related learning, tailored to a specific job or sector. They teach you the skills you'll need to succeed in a particular career and typically involve lots of hands-on, practical learning experience.

They could take the form of a BTEC or NVQ qualification, and you usually only focus on one subject.

Are they suitable for me?

If you've always wanted to go into a particular job, or you have a passion for a specific industry, a vocational course could provide a great start for your career. If you prefer practical learning and would like to get all the skills you need to start working as soon as possible, this could be the option for you.

There are different levels available depending on your current abilities and experience, but we will help you find the right one.

What are apprenticeships?

An apprenticeship pairs you with an employer and allows you to earn while you learn, as you develop the skills you need for a specific career on the job. You'll study and practise the skills you've learnt as you work in an industry and earn a wage.

As well as working off-site, you will also spend some days learning in the classroom and working towards your NVQ qualification.

Are apprenticeships suitable for me?

If you're interested in a particular career and eager to get started in the working world, an apprenticeship is a great choice to develop the skills you need for the future and earn money whilst doing it. If you're not sure that full-time education is for you, an apprenticeship can help you bridge the gap between school and employment.

Our apprenticeship partner, Total People, offers a range of opportunities if you're ready to get into work straight away. You’ll gain a qualification, build experience and earn a wage all with expert support along the way .

That's not a problem. You're not alone, and you don't need to worry if you're not sure which course is right for you. Everyone is different, but our expert Student Careers team are just a phone call or a message away.

Wherever you'd like to be in five or 10 years' time, they'll help you decide which path is best for you. They'll talk through all your course options and help you figure out which will best fit your skills and goals.

Contact our Student Careers team or call us on 03333 222 444

The Access to Industry Award helps with costs associated with studying, funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). One application covers all available support.

To be eligible:

• Aged 16-18
• Home student
• Household income less than £40,000 per year
• Enrolled with The Manchester College

How to apply:

Apply via your Apply Portal at apply.tmc.ac.uk once enrolled. You'll need to provide household income and welfare benefit details. Applications must be completed year on year with relevant evidence. You'll be notified by text or email if you're eligible.

Important: The Bursary team will only contact you via your student email address, so check regularly.

What can it help with:

• Travel costs
• Course kits and equipment (up to £500)
• College meals (if household income is below £30,000 and not eligible for Go Eat)
• Laptops for eligible students (following needs assessment)

We'll help you get to campus for free - whether by bus through Our Pass or via TMC Go. We can also support travel to work placements.

Our Pass

If you're 16 or 17 on 31 August 2025 and live in Greater Manchester, apply for Our Pass. For a one-off £10 administration fee, you get free bus travel across all local services in Greater Manchester - meaning you could potentially save over £500.

Apply on the Our Pass website.

TMC Go

If you're 18 or over on 31 August 2025, or live outside Greater Manchester, you will not be eligible for Our Pass but can apply for TMC Go through the Access to Industry Award. TMC Go operates on your College ID badge as a bus travel card. Renew every 28 days at your campus reception.

If bus travel isn't suitable (e.g., journey takes over an hour), you can request alternative transport such as train or tram at the application stage. This will be assessed by the bursary panel and may result in payment to your UK bank account. You'll need to provide proof of alternative transport purchases.

TMC Go applies to 2025/26 only and is subject to available funds, terms, conditions and eligibility.

If you lose your ID card:

You should report this immediately. There's a £2 replacement fee. Refunds aren't available if it is later found. Students who lose their ID card three or more times will receive daily scratch cards instead. Misuse of bus passes is subject to student disciplinary procedures.

Placement Travel

If you have a mandatory placement connected to your study programme, the income threshold is flexible as placement attendance is essential. Where possible, you should use your Our Pass or TMC Go Award.

Travel requirements are assessed case-by-case based on placement availability and distance. Your Employability Placement Coordinators (EPC) will submit details to the Bursary Team for processing. The College cannot provide taxis to or from placements.

You must apply for the Access to Industry Award before additional placement travel costs can be assessed. Speak with your EPC for more information.

We provide up to £5.50 per day loaded onto your college ID to use in our canteen facilities on every campus, offering meals for all tastes and dietary requirements - subject to eligibility criteria.

Eligibility

If your parent/s or guardian receive certain means-tested benefits, you may be entitled to up to £27.50 meal allowance per week (depending on your attendance profile) when in college and during off-site activities like work placements.

Funds are loaded onto your ID card. If you can't access the cashless system, an alternative payment method will be arranged.

Important: Unused entitlement cannot be paid as cash at the end of the year. The meal allocation resets to zero every half term, so use it regularly.

Eligible benefits:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (if not entitled to Working Tax Credit and annual gross income no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after stopping qualification)
• Universal Credit with net earnings not exceeding £7,400 per year (after tax, not including benefits)

Students aged 19-24 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) may also be entitled to meal support.

Free Tea and Toast

All 16-18 year olds can get free tea and toast between 8:00am-9:30am. Just show your ID badge at our refectories.

Not eligible for Go Eat?

If your household income is below £30,000 per year, the college may provide meals at the same rate (£5.50 per day) through the Access to Industry Award. This is only guaranteed for 2025/26. The college reserves the right to stop the award if funds are depleted.

Placement Meals

Meals are provided at £5.50 per day on placement where necessary and the placement provider isn't providing food. This is paid in arrears.

Course Kits and Equipment

Some study programmes require equipment which you can take into employment after completing your studies. If eligible, we'll provide what you need through the Access to Industry Award.

We work with curriculum departments to ensure you have the right course equipment, usually capped at £500 worth of kits and materials.

Laptops

If you don't have IT equipment for independent study, you can book college computers or laptops through the Learning Resource Centres while on campus.

We'll provide a laptop for students eligible for free college meals, following a needs assessment by the Welfare team.

You'll sign an Acceptable Use Policy and confirmation of receipt. At the end of the academic year, you will return the equipment (unless on a two-year programme) so it can be reimaged and reused. Failure to return equipment may result in recovery action and you may become liable for the full cost.

If you're living independently, in care or leaving care, we're here to support you. We provide financial help alongside a team of professionals - advisors, student experience workers, mentors, learning support, transition, libraries and Achievement Tutors - all working together to help you progress and achieve.

If eligible, you'll receive:

• Meals loaded onto your college ID badge (£5.50 per day in college)
• £30 per week into your UK bank account during college closures (half term, holidays)
• Additional support following a needs assessment with the welfare team

Eligibility:

• In care (including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children)
• Leaving care (including unaccompanied asylum-seekers)
• Receiving Income Support or Universal Credit because you're financially supporting yourself or someone dependent on you
• Disabled and receiving both Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit AND Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment in your own right

• Studying for at least 30 weeks per year

To apply:

Attend a needs assessment with the Welfare team and provide evidence of living independently (valid tenancy agreement or equivalent documentation).

All students may face times when extra support makes a difference - an unexpected bill, clothes for an interview or placement or essential items due to cost of living. We're here to help remove short-term barriers. Our financial support advisor can also help with longer-term planning.

Breaking Barriers can help with:

• Clothes for a placement, university, or job interview
• UCAS fees
• Severe hardship
• Childcare registration fees
• IT equipment for students receiving free college meals
• College meals if not eligible for ESFA meal entitlement

Download a Breaking Barriers application from our Fees, Finance & Funding page. Send completed forms to Careers & Welfare or speak with an advisor on site.

If you're a young parent under 20 at the start of your course, you could get up to £160 per child, per week to help pay for childcare.

This covers:

• Childcare costs, including deposits and registration fees
• Travel to and from childcare
• Taster sessions for up to five days
• Keeping your childcare place over summer holidays.

Eligibility - all of the following must apply:

• You're a parent under 20 at the start of your course
• You're the main carer for your child
• You live in England
• You're a British citizen or have legal right to live and study in England
• Your course qualifies
• Your childcare provider qualifies.

Note: apprentices who receive a salary or students in higher education aren't eligible.

Applications can be found in our Fees, Finance & Funding section.

We can only make cash payments into a valid UK bank account. Provide your bank details securely via your student portal only.

If you don't have a bank account:

• Metro Bank, Manchester City Centre (45 Market Street, M1 1WR) - open a cash account the same day and usually receive your bank card with account and sort code immediately
• Read about bank accounts for teenagers or this children’s current account guide for more information.

Email the Bursary Team if you have questions.

In addition to all the support we offer, you can book to see one of our fully qualified careers advisors. We can help you choose the right course, plan your next steps, and discuss different career options - whether you're planning university, moving to the next level, or going into employment.

All Level 3 year 2 and one-year Level 3 students will be offered a career goals review - a 1-hour meeting with a professional qualified advisor who will help you plan your future and next steps.

• The 16-18 Access to Industry Award funds are paid from the college allocation of Discretionary Support Funds from the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).
• These funds are paid to meet some of the costs associated with learning, to enable learners to attend college courses where financial issues may not have made this otherwise possible.
• The funds are paid subject to learners meeting the conditions of your learning agreement in terms of learning goals and the standards of behaviour and maintain a good attendance pattern in line with the college expectations, which must be at least 10 guided learning hours per week.
• Where a learner has been awarded the 16-18 Access to Industry Award but they do not meet the attendance, behaviour and effort requirements, support may be withdrawn.
• If a learner withdraws from their studies or stops attending the college, all support through the 16-18 Access to Industry Award will immediately cease and no future payments will be made.
• If a learner loses their TMC Go bus pass, there will be a £2 charge for administration costs for a replacement. A refund will not be given for passes later found.
• The 16-18 Access to Industry Award is limited and the college seeks to provide the maximum benefit to the most learners possible. If further payments cannot be made, all recipients will be informed of this in writing.
• Funds are limited and not guaranteed, these will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and will close when the full allocation has been spent. The fund will be reviewed on a termly basis. The college reserve the right to adjust the criteria in year according to funds available.

If you wish to appeal a decision, put this in writing outlining why you feel the decision was incorrect and send to the Bursary Team. It will go to an appeal panel and you'll be informed of the outcome within 10 days.

When you've found the course you want to study, you can apply directly online from the course page. If you're still looking for options, you can search by interest, career area or course type on our course finder.

The application cycle for the academic year 2026/27 is now open at apply.tmc.ac.uk.

If you need help with any part of your application, our Course Enquiry team will be more than happy to help. Call us on 03333 222 444.

Once we've received your application, we'll aim to send you confirmation within 48 hours. If you haven't heard from us after seven days, please get in touch.

After we've received your application, we'll invite you to meet with our tutors and chat about your career goals and future plans. This will usually be at the campus where you've applied to study. Some courses may also require you to complete an audition.

This is a great way for us to get to know you and make sure you're on the right course for what you want to do in the future. It helps us both check you'll be happy on your chosen course and enjoy your time with us.

After your interview, we may ask you to take two or three short tests on maths, English and ICT. They're more like quizzes taken on a computer and are nothing to worry about.

They're just another way for us to understand your current skill levels and make sure you have the best possible support when you study with us. You'll get full instructions and plenty of time to answer the questions.

Once we agree that the course you've chosen is the right one for you, we'll send you a conditional offer*.

This means you've got a place on the course with us if you get the grades we've asked for. Once you do, you'll be all set for enrolment.

*All offers are subject to capacity, meeting entry requirements and our admissions policy.

After meeting with one of our tutors, you may have changed your mind about the course you want to study. That's not a problem.

If we don't think you'll enjoy your original chosen course, we'll work together and help you find one that you'll find interesting and will help you achieve your goals.

We are no longer in a position to enrol any new international students due to our current home office status as a legacy sponsor. For further information about Tier 4 of the points-based system, please refer to the Tier 4 Guidance for Sponsors on the GOV.UK website. We apologise that we are currently unable to proceed with any new applications. If you require a list of alterative UK registered sponsors please visit the Tier 4 Register of Sponsors.

If you are from a British Overseas Territories and your passport states 'British Citizen' you can apply in the normal way.

You are a 'British Overseas Territories' national if you are a national of any of these territories:

• Anguilla
• Bermuda
• British Antarctic Territory
• British Indian Ocean Territory
• British Virgin Islands
• Cayman Islands
• Falkland Islands
• Gibraltar
• Montserrat
• Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands
• South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
• St Helena and Dependencies (Ascension Island and Tristan de Cunha)
• Turks and Caicos Islands

Once you've received a conditional offer and achieved the required grades, it's time to enrol.

You should receive an email with all the details for your next steps to complete enrolment for your chosen course.

The enrolment process:

Step 1 - Log in to apply portal

Login to your Apply Portal at apply.tmc.ac.uk and you'll see a request to complete your enrolment form in the 'Get Ready to Study' section. If you can't remember your login details, you can reset them easily.

If you haven't yet accepted our offer of a place, you'll need to do this before completing the digital enrolment form.

Step 2 - Enrolment form

Check the information you've previously submitted is still accurate, then complete the additional information we require to progress your enrolment.

Step 3 - Review

Double-check all your information is correct, including contact details and next of kin details, then click 'Submit'. If you notice any errors, click 'Edit' under the section you wish to correct.

Step 4 - Book an appointment

Once you've confirmed your details, you'll be redirected to the Portal homepage where you can book an appointment for your enrolment at a date and time that suits you.

On the day of your appointment, you'll arrive at your campus where your details will be given a final check and you'll speak to your tutor team to ask any questions.

Step 5 - Sign your Learner Agreement

You'll sign your Learner Agreement and read the consents and privacy notice when you obtain your ID card on campus (your photograph will be taken). Once you've signed the agreement, you'll receive further communication via email on how to access the Student Hub, where you'll find important information on when you start college, your timetable and how to stay safe on campus.

If you've applied to study with us in January, you should have received an email with all the details for enrolment.

The enrolment process is the same as above (Steps 1-5).

January 2026 Enrolment Dates:

Openshaw campus: Wednesdays from 10am-1pm for 4 weeks

• Wednesday 14 January 2026
• Wednesday 21 January 2026
• Wednesday 28 January 2026
• Wednesday 4 February 2026

All other campuses: Mondays from 10am-1pm for 4 weeks

• Monday 12 January 2026
• Monday 19 January 2026
• Monday 26 January 2026
• Monday 2 February 2026

*Last appointment for any walk-in enrolments is 1 hour before enrolment closes each day.

If you've told us in your progression review that you'll be returning to us in September, there are some key dates you need to be aware of and a few things you'll need to do before you re-join us.

Visit our Next Steps page to learn more and find out what actions you need to take.

If you are not a national of the UK/EU and you have not been resident in the UK/EU for the last three years, you will need to provide evidence of your residency.

If you haven't received your enrolment email or don't have a conditional offer yet, get in touch with us on 03333 222 444.