Businesses urged to take advantage of new government funding.
As a new package of government funding is announced to help businesses provide industry placements for learners, we find out why T Levels could be the answer to many organisations’ recruitment challenges.
Kim Smith, Regional Lead: Education and Enterprise at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) explains more.
It’s safe to say that T Levels are big business in the North East.
Since September 2020, young people have been able to study for a two year T Level from age 16, combining classroom learning with on-the-job experience in roles ranging from laboratory technician to assistant accountant.
We’re now nearly three years on, T Levels are firmly established, and will only play an increasing part in providing young people with a route into the workplace.
Here in the North East, we have the secondhighest number of T Level courses on offer nationally, with young people already studying digital, engineering, health and life sciences and more.
What’s more, in March, government chose Newcastle as the location for its first T Level conference for businesses, hosted by the Department for Education and the Strategic Development Network, and the North East LEP was asked to collaborate on this event. The room was packed and we heard from organisations including Unipres, Sunderland City Council and Fujifilms Diosynth Biotechnologies which were some of the first to help shape and deliver T Levels in our region.
At the same time as all this is happening, we know employers are still having problems recruiting and you tell us that skills, retention and recruitment are some of the biggest challenges you’re dealing with right now.
So I want to urge you to take advantage of T Levels – and £12million of funding through the Employer Support Fund – as a way to overcome these skills shortages.
T levels are one of many technical education reforms being driven by employers. They are made with employers’ needs in mind, and they also streamline the options young people have at age 16 and allow progression into work or higher education.
T Levels include learning at school or college combined with on-the-job experience through an industry placement of approximately 45 days (20% of the course). They’re designed with employers and focus on the skills and knowledge you need in your workforce, providing young people with enough experience to be work-ready.
So it’s good news as far as creating a pipeline of skilled, experienced workers for our region in the future. But pro-active businesses are seeing the benefits already.
You can be involved now by partnering with schools and colleges to offer an industrial placement – meaning you can give young people direct experience of your business and benefit now from new ideas and skills on specific projects and tasks.
There’s lots of support on offer to help you through the process. You’ll find guidance on our North East Ambition website including links to schools and colleges, and examples of how other businesses are delivering placements. If you want to find out who is delivering T levels in your area and in the subjects relevant to your business you can find that information at employers.tlevels.gov.uk.
Now that government has announced more support for employers offering placements – up to £25,000 is available to cover administrative, training and other costs – now is the best time to get involved.
Find information on T Levels and industrial placements at NorthEastAmbition.co.uk, and find details of government support for businesses at gov.uk