Are you an employer who could provide a T Level industry placement relating to design, surveying and planning for construction, or digital production, design and development?

In September 2020, the Department for Education launched the first three T Level qualifications, designed to equip young people with the technical skills on which to build their future careers. To achieve a T Level pass every student has to complete a substantial Industry Placement with a local employer as part of their course. The Covid-19 pandemic has placed additional pressure on colleges and other training providers in sourcing enough Industry Placements for their students.

You will find some background about T Levels below, along with links to further information, to help you decide if your organisation can get involved by offering students a good quality Industry Placement. As well as providing a young person with their first step into the world of work, it could be your first step to engaging with fresh new talent.

The Next Level Qualification Guide for Employers

T-Levels are new courses which follow GCSEs and are equivalent to 3 A levels.  These 2-year courses, which launched September 2020, are for 16 to 19 year olds and have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work, further training or study.  T-Levels offer students a mixture of classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during an industry placement of at least 45 days.  Most of the learning will take place in the classroom which makes them different from an Apprenticeship.  The placement can take place as a block, day release or a mix of these.  There are currently two Construction T-Levels:

Design, surveying and planning for construction (available now) the course offers a core knowledge of how the construction industry works, the principles of design and the role of technology and sustainability.  Students then have the chance to specialise in either Building services design, Civil engineering, Hazardous materials analysis or surveying.  Eight colleges are currently delivering this programme across England and they are seeking industrial placements for 67 students.  If you are an employer interested in taking on an industrial placement please complete the form at  https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/employers/next-steps or call 08000 150 600 (choose option 4).

Onsite construction (starting September 2021) learners will have the option to cover at least one trade from a choice of bricklaying, carpentry and joinery, painting and decorating or plastering.  FIS are seeking support to develop an occupational specialism in interior systems installation.

There are a number of progression options open to students.  These include skilled employment, an apprenticeship and higher education.  UCAS points are attached to the overall T-Level achievement grade.