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New T Level industry placement delivery approaches
We’re pleased to announce that the Department for Education (DfE) has introduced some permanent changes to how T Level industry placements can be delivered, following significant engagement with employers and providers. The expectation is that students will still spend the majority of their placement hours in-person, within an external workplace setting, as this is essential to ensuring a meaningful experience for the student.
However, the new delivery approaches are intended to provide more flexibility, widen the pool of employers that can offer placements and help to ensure students can access high-quality and meaningful placements across the country, and across all industries, as the T Level programme continues to roll out, by better reflecting employer working patterns and common industry practice.
Please note, that the temporary flexibilities that applied to T Level students who started in 2020 and 2021, as outlined in the temporary flexibilities for Wave and Wave 2 industry placements guidance, as part of the industry placements delivery guidance, still remain in place until the end of the 2022-23 academic year.
You can find the permanent delivery approaches in Annex A of the Industry Placement Delivery Guidance here – T Level industry placements delivery guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). The guidance includes information about what approaches can and can’t be used in combination with each other and examples of how you can use the delivery approaches. You can also find an overview of them below:
Approaches that can apply to all T Levels
The following delivery approaches apply to all T Level industry placements (apart from the Early Years Educator specialism in the Education and Childcare T Level and the Dental Nursing specialism in the Health T Level).
|
Delivery approach |
Proportion of hours |
T Levels it applies to |
|
Work taster activities This approach can be used to give students the opportunity to experience and gain a better understanding of the industry or sector they wish to work in. These activities can be undertaken remotely. |
Up to 35 hours |
All T Levels |
|
T Level pathway placements This approach allows placements to be delivered in a workplace context that is relevant to the students’ T Level, rather than a workplace setting that is relevant only to their occupational specialism. |
All placement hours |
All T Levels |
|
Part-time work Students can count hours they undertake in part time work towards their industry placement hours if the work is either relevant to their T Level pathway or occupational specialism. |
All placement hours |
All T Levels |
|
Multiple employers (up to 2) Industry placement hours can be split across a maximum of 2 employers to help deliver a breadth of experience for students. |
All placement hours |
All T Levels |
|
Supply chain and employer networks This approach enables one lead employer to facilitate the full industry placement across subcontractors or employers in their supply chain or employer network. There is a limit of 3 employers (including the lead employer) that students can engage with as part this approach. |
All placement hours |
All T Levels where applicable. (This approach should only be used where there are established supply chains and employer networks.) |
|
Small team project This approach allows students to work in a small team alongside an external employer or industry professional for up to one third of their industry placement hours, to plan and implement a project, which develops their specific technical skills, related to their T Level or occupational specialism. |
Up to a third |
All T Levels |
|
Special educational needs and disability (SEND) approach Students with SEND can spend up to one third of their placement hours working in the providers’ on-site facilities so long as it is relevant to students’ T Level pathway and/or occupational specialism. This is to help build the students’ confidence before undertaking the remainder of their placement hours with an external employer. |
All placement hours |
All T Levels |
|
Youth Offenders Institution approach All young offenders studying T Levels within young offender institutions and other custodial settings can undertake their full placement hours in the institutions on-site facilities for example, in the onsite restaurant, workshop for manufacturing products etc. |
All placement hours |
All T Levels |
Delivery approaches that apply to specific T Levels
The following delivery approaches apply to specific T Levels and should be used where appropriate to the industry and where they support the students’ learning goals, interests, and desired progression outcomes.
|
Delivery approach |
Proportion of hours |
T Levels it applies to |
|
Route level placements Students studying any of the Digital and Engineering and Manufacturing T Levels can undertake their industry placement at route level, rather than in a setting that is only relevant to their specific occupational specialism or T Level pathway. |
All placement hours |
|
|
Skills hub and employer training centres Students can spend up to one third of their total industry placement hours in an employer skills hub or training centre to improve their readiness for the real workplace. This can involve the use of simulated activities. Students must then complete the remainder of their placement hours with an employer in a live site environment. |
Up to a third |
|
|
Hybrid (remote) placements Up to one fifth (20%) of a student’s total industry placement hours can be delivered remotely, with the remaining placement hours being delivered in-person.
|
Up to one fifth (20%)
|
|
If you have any questions, please contact the industry placements team by emailing [email protected]