Could your business support a T Level student this year?

Photo caption

D&G Consultants

“My business partner, Gareth and I started working with the college and talking about our journey. We have worked with 11 T Level students so far, some of whom have stayed with us, and we are now offering them paid work. For us, it’s an opportunity to create a talent pool and the next generation of entrepreneurs.

We introduce them and immerse them in what true entrepreneurship looks like, the ability to dive into business functions and gain experience from ops, sales, marketing and commercial, giving them a work ethic and what it’s like to work in a real-life setting. “We know that experience of reality of the workplace will make students head and shoulders above those without it. We want to inspire people and have a shared ambition to keep things local and invest in the local economy.”

Dave Hamlet, D&G Consultants

Text

“ABP UK saw T Levels as an opportunity to engage with young talent and provide hands-on experience in the food industry, specifically in engineering. We offered four students real exposure to operations at both ABP Shrewsbury and ABP Ellesmere. “The feedback from our managers has been phenomenal, and the students have made a strong impression and exceeded our expectations.

By offering them a thorough, in-depth experience, we’ve helped them see what life at ABP is really like and how they can apply their college work in the real world. “Taking on T Level students is a great way for us to identify potential future employees who understand our culture and are passionate about working with us. “We see real potential in them, and we’re excited about the possibility of progression onto our Food & Drink Engineering Maintenance apprenticeship programme.”

Kate Taylor, Apprentice and Early Careers Manager, ABP.

“We find investing in students, apprenticeships, and graduate programs very important, and they work really well for Invertek. We have two T Level students on a placement, and each student has rotated around the departments, starting in Operations, learning the processes, and getting to know the team.

Both George and Tami have fitted in well and are enthusiastic students, willing to learn and become part of the team. Both students are hard-working and enthusiastic with a clear vision for their future: George – Electrical Engineering, and Tami - Aerospace Engineering. We will continue to support them with their future roles if they would like to stay with Invertek for further work.”

Julia Gough, Invertek Drives

“We were intrigued by the new qualification and the alternative options it gives young engineers to develop their skills as they migrate into the industry. At times, a degree can leave graduates lacking in practical experience, and an apprenticeship can at times be too light on the knowledge side.

We hope the T Level finds a good baseline between the two and gives a meaningful introduction to the industry to those who may then go on to do further education via an apprenticeship or at degree level, having had some more specialised exposure to the subject. Matt has been able to get involved in some build and test projects and appears to be enjoying the opportunity to acquire and develop some practical skills beyond what he’s had the opportunity to do up to now. His path has been firmly looking towards a degree, potentially in Aerospace Engineering, which we fully support him in pursuing.”

Phil Baker, Parkburn.

“Offering a placement for a T-Level student has been incredibly rewarding for us. Not only does it allow our student, Tom, to gain hands-on exposure across different areas of our business, but it also provides our teams with valuable support. Tom has adapted to our work environment, showing both technical aptitude and an eagerness to learn.

Our team enjoys the mentoring aspect, finding it fulfilling to guide Tom’s professional growth and pass on industry knowledge. “We would certainly consider offering a full-time job to successful T-level placements, and overall, it’s been a meaningful experience. We look forward to welcoming more T-Level students in the future.”

Ben Tomkinson, R1 Construction.

“We were very happy to take on some T Level students as we felt we had the opportunity to offer them something a little different. As a small manufacturing company, we had always done our stock keeping by hand. The students have been constructing a useful system of stock management using their coding skills.

Andy helped submit a sustainability assessment required by one of our suppliers, Fortnum & Mason. Ryan and Andy also helped us improve our website reach and our SEO. Richard, who worked with us and has now progressed onto an apprenticeship, worked on some image and photography editing for us.”

Carla Risdon, Risdon & Risdon.

“We have had an exceptionally positive experience with our T Level student, Beth. She has always been professional, positive and uses her initiative. Beth is always eager to improve her skills and is open to advice from others. It has been great to be able to help support and shape the development of future educators.

This is one of the reasons we decided to take on a T Level student. The on-site placement gives Beth lots of real hands-on experience that is only feasible through a placement opportunity. Experience is particularly vital in the field of education.”

Sue Miller, Assistant Headteacher & Early Years Lead.

“I’m a member of the SCG employers’ skills advisory panel for construction, so we are already playing an active role in influencing the content of the T Levels, believing them to be a great introductory qualification for working in our industry.

We hope Rainers is the first in a series of students to join us through the scheme. “We are finding the scheme a brilliant way for students to put their theoretical knowledge into practice while learning more about what it’s like to get on in the workplace. Real-life experience is so important when it comes to hiring and developing staff, and we see it as a win-win for both the student and employer.”

Richard Vickers, CQS Solutions.

“It’s a real privilege to be involved in something as important as this, guiding and nurturing young students through a pivotal part of their education, which could impact their employability and future careers.

The placement is working really well, and Shayma has been a real joy for us at Shropshire Homes. She has worked across departments within the business and has thrived in all of them. She is very proactive, hardworking and a determined young lady who I believe will thrive and achieve her future goals! I know some businesses might take the view that they are too busy with their own workloads without adding the responsibility of a young student into the mix. I would say to those organisations that having a T Level student is worthwhile as they bring value to your business.”

Helen Pritchard, Shropshire Homes.