Colleges must be “skilled and equipped” in matching students to appropriate employers if they are to make T-level industry placements a success, a new report states.

The Department for Education commissioned the Learning and Work Institute to research employer engagement and capacity to support T-level industry placements.

One of the key elements of the new technical qualification is that courses must contain a “meaningful industry placement with an employer”. These will last a minimum of 45 working days and can extend to up to 60 working days.

'Saturation point'

The report’s authors state that employers expected learning providers to act as matchmakers between students and appropriate industry placements.

They add: “Employers were keen for learning providers to support them by matching young people to an appropriate placement; providing pre-placement preparation and training and providing ongoing support for both employer and young person. It is crucial that learning providers are appropriately skilled and equipped to fulfil this role in the way that employers expect.”

For employers who were already offering work-based learning, an influx of T-level learners led some to fear that they could reach a “saturation point” in the amount of staff time they could spare on supporting learners.

However, despite some concerns over capacity, employers who have been involved in the piloting of T-level placements welcomed the idea of the work experience element of the new technical qualifications. 

'An extra pair of hands'

The report’s authors say that the 45- to 60-day length of the placement is enough time for the young person to be an “extra pair of hands rather than a burden to be accommodated".

They add: “The length of the placement is viewed as being sufficient to enable the young person to settle in, understand the business and undertake industry-relevant work of value to both employers and learners.

“Employers were largely reassured to hear that the industry placement would be focused on an industry relevant to the qualification studied; they felt this would make it more likely that the learner was interested and motivated in their placement.”

Some employers, particularly those in industries with more traditional apprenticeship routes, such as agriculture, animal care, construction and engineering, explicitly said that they would be unwilling to offer T-level industry placements.