An invitation to join a T Level Workshop

This post is for any firm focused on helping young people to find their seat at the table in careers that might not historically have been open to them. I am working with the Department for Education to help scale up its T Level Program for post-GCSE students, and this is to invite you to join a T Levels Workshop on Thursday morning, 13th?October 2022. ?At the workshop, we will outline the power of T Levels to transform the prospects of young people, many of whom have backgrounds of social disadvantage. We shall also have a discussion about how you can effectively build T Levels into your Early Talent Acquisition processes.

We have a nearly-full house, but there are a few places left and you can have one of them. First come, first served.

In summary, the T Level is?a new?post-GCSE?qualification ?designed for students aged 16 to 19 in England. T-Levels are an alternative to A-levels and apprenticeships, and one T Level is equivalent to 3 A-levels. T-Levels combine classroom learning with an industry placement (typically over nine weeks or so) to deliver technical knowledge alongside practical know-how. By mid-2023, there will be?23?different T level courses available in England, with students selecting from?a drop-down menu of courses ?including business and administration, construction and the built environment, digital and IT, education and childcare, engineering and manufacturing, health and science, and legal, finance and accounting. As I say, eventually 23 courses in total, across the board by mid-late 2023.?

This begs the question: why do we need even more qualifications than we already have? Well, there is currently a long list of several thousand post-GCSE qualifications recognised by Government. This creates confusion. T Levels are designed to provide, once and for all, a technical qualification (to sit alongside A-levels) which meets the needs of both students and employers by providing practical learning (80%) alongside classroom based know-how (20%).?

There are several benefits to employers of offering placements to T Level students:?

• Cost effective recruitment?
• Early access to young talent?
• Increased skills, ideas and creative thinking?
• Increased productivity?
• Improved social mobility, diversity and reputation?

There is excellent demand for T Levels from students, and the courses will eventually be offered by up to 400 schools, sixth forms and colleges who are known as?providers . However, there needs to be much better scaling up of the industry placement component.

All T Level students are required to complete a 45-day Industry Placement in order to gain their T Level qualification.?These T Level placements?are?completed by students over a fixed?nine-week block period?timed to suit your organisation and the student; or, they could be structured as, say, a day a week over the coming year; or some combination of a shorter block and several day placements. They just need to add up to a total minimum of?45 days?(or?315 hours). There is plenty of support available to employers offering T-Level placements as well as the selection of suitable candidates. This?helpful video for employers ?sets out the process.?

It is worth noting that T Levels tend to be taken by those students who might otherwise be left behind in the jobs market. This is the demographic which, more than most, needs support if it is to find a seat at the table we so often talk about.

The students may come from more deprived parts of society and, although talented, are all too often lacking in opportunity and industry connections. The T Level placement is often a gamechanger for the student. Whether it results in an offer of permanent employment or not, simply having had the placement (and putting it on their CV) will increase the student’s chances of finding a decent job elsewhere. This is?a great video ?of employers talking about their experience of T Level placements.

I would be delighted if you could ask a senior member of your People/HR department to represent you?at the workshop on Thursday, 13 October. During the workshop we shall explain why T levels are a gamechanger for organisations and T Level holders; discuss hiring practices and the challenges and opportunities facing our industry; and outline clear next steps to enable our industry to show leadership as we address the “S” in ESG by offering work placements to those who otherwise would not have a seat at the table.??

The workshop will be attended by senior representatives from the DfE including the Permanent Secretary, and this will be a great opportunity to build relationships between the private sector and Civil Service.

Time?09:00 – 12:00?

Date:?Thursday,?13?October?2022?

Venue:?Central London

I truly believe this new educational qualification is one of the most powerful levers available to us in the levelling up mission and I would be very grateful if you are able to participate in the Workshop. We recently ran the T Levels Workshop at 10 Downing Street for members of the?Prime Minister’s Business Council and the outcomes exceeded all our expectations.

Please reply to me directly for all the details on here or at [email protected]

Thank you!