Supporting Employers in Offering Industry Placements for T Levels

As we move further into the rollout of T Levels, the importance of industry placements as a key component of the qualification continues to be emphasised. These placements provide students with the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience and make connections in their chosen field, helping to ensure their success after graduation.

However, we understand that hosting placements can come with additional costs for employers, and this can be a barrier to participation. To address this issue, the UK government launched a £7m Employer Support Fund pilot in the 2019 to 2020 academic year. The pilot was designed to provide financial support to employers and to better understand the financial barriers faced by employers in offering placements.

Unfortunately, due to the first COVID-19 lockdown, the findings from the pilot were inconclusive. As a result, the pilot was extended to continue throughout the 2020 to 2021 academic year, and the number of regions covered by the pilot was also expanded to include the South West, West Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber, and the East of England. This was done to ensure a diverse mix of industries, employers, and areas were represented and to maximise the number of placements in the pilot.

In addition to the Employer Support Fund, an employer support package was introduced in the 2019 to 2020 academic year to help employers effectively plan and implement high-quality placements. This package, developed through a competitive procurement process, includes a range of guidance and materials focused on helping employers understand the benefits of hosting placements and how to get the most out of the experience.