Just one in 10 businesses say they will be offering placements to students on the government’s new gold standard T-level qualifications in 2021, a survey by the Institute of Directors reveals. The placements are an integral part of the new courses, set out to be equivalent to A levels.
In the survey - shared exclusively with Tes - six in 10 businesses said they are “not likely” to provide a T-level placement this year, while three in 10 said they did not know whether they would or not.
The survey had almost 600 respondents, speaking on behalf of businesses across the UK, and took place between 12 and 29 March.
When the IoD asked members if they would be prepared to offer students the industry placement that is required as part of a T-level course in July 2020, four in 10 members said yes.
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Joe Fitzsimons, senior policy adviser at the IoD, said that while employers recognised the importance of supporting young people in gaining skills, employers had faced many challenges during the pandemic.
T levels: The challenge of providing work placements during Covid
“Company directors recognise the importance of supporting young people in gaining specific industry skills and experience,” he said.
“This past year has presented organisations with many challenges, one being the decrease in face-to-face interaction. However, despite the reduced in-person workplace access, there has been a rise in online flexible working, which could provide further opportunity for young people looking to excel in their career.
“As online working will be a long-term change post-pandemic, it’s also important for the government to continue to build the profile of T levels and to provide business with guidance and support to further raise awareness.”
In September, the first three T levels were rolled out in colleges across England - construction, digital and education and childcare. In September 2021, seven other routes will be introduced, including ones in digital support, healthcare science and on-site construction. As part of the T-level programme, learners are required to undertake 315 hours of work placement.
Concerns around the viability of T-level placements due to the pandemic have been raised across the sector. In June last year, Kirstie Donnelly, chief executive of the City & Guilds Group, said delivering the required number of work placements was seen as “almost impossible” by employers, and research from the National Foundation for Educational Research found a third of the new T-level providers have struggled to find industry placements for their students.
In response to the pandemic, many providers have pushed the placements to the second year of T-level study - but if most businesses are not able to offer them until January 2022, that leaves just two terms for students to complete them.
City and Guilds: ‘Introduce financial incentive’
David Phillips, managing director of City and Guilds and ILM, called for the government to introduce a financial incentive for employers around T-level placements.
He said: “As we get the country back on the road to recovery, T levels have the potential to provide young people with high-quality technical education to improve their employability, and create a better-skilled workforce to supply industries with the talent of tomorrow. Work placements are an integral part of T levels, and the research highlights the need for government to offer better support and guidance. Research by City and Guilds Group found that a financial contribution would encourage 85 per cent of employers to offer more T-level work placements.
“To help support and encourage employers, we believe that the government should provide extra funding and help them deliver the pastoral guidance and mentoring in the workplace that T-level students require. This could be funding released from their apprenticeship levy pots. We will work collaboratively to raise awareness and help support employers to ensure a generation of young people don’t miss out.”
The Association of Colleges’ senior skills policy manager Teresa Frith said there is a worry about the ability to T level placements alongside other offers like apprenticeships, traineeships and the Kickstart scheme.
She said: “There is a worry about the ability to offer placements within the T level programme as we emerge from the pandemic. Especially alongside the plethora of other offers that are reliant on employers - including apprenticeships, traineeships and the Kickstart Scheme. All of which have some sort of government incentive payments associated with them, unlike work placements. However, so long as placements are forthcoming, we have confidence that providers will be flexible enough to adapt learning programmes to ensure the work placement is fully realised.”
NCFE’s operational director for technical education, Zac Aldridge, said: “We’re working closely with providers to ensure they are fully supported in securing the industry placements they need for their T-level students. This includes helping them to forge new links with employers and offering guidance on preparing for and managing industry placements.”
A spokesperson for the Department for Education said: “The roll-out of T levels has always been gradual, working with a small number of providers to ensure the qualifications are high-quality and successful from the start.
“We have invested over £165 million since 2018-19 to help providers build capacity to deliver high-quality industry placements. The first cohort of T levels is relatively small and most placements will take place in 2021-22.
“We are working closely with providers delivering the first wave of T levels to ensure that adequate numbers of placements have been sourced, especially given the current climate.”
