T-levels

[cherryonthecakes]

Ds is in year 11 and considering T-levels as an option for September 2022 study.

I'd like to know from people delivering courses or with kids on them whether or not they recommend them?

Are placements good quality ? Do they really help employability once the course is complete ?

He's likely to pass 8 GCSEs at grade 5-7 ish and doesn't think he'll go to university right now. He doesn't have a specific career in mind (which makes it hard to pick a T-level) but the construction and engineering ones are possibilities.

My role is to source the placements for T Levels. It's important that the student is honest about their future career path. That way they can be placed in a placement relative to them. The placement isn't a picked out of a hat scenario, there is lots of hard work that goes into finding the right placement. The quality of placement is based on things such as the availability of businesses around you, if your willing to travel, what days you can do etc.

You can look into businesses around you and contact them yourselves to ask if they'll take your child on a T level placement. This will ensure you will get a placement targeted for your child. There is a certain criteria you will need to hit for the placement to count, so you will need to check with the relevant college that the placement is suitable.

The businesses I've worked with have been great with T levels. Thier getting someone that becomes part of the team, that they can teach and show the real world of work. The students gain valuable transferable skills and can actually do the job when the go for a role rather than just having it on paper.

I'd definitely recommend a T level qualification.

Thank you Bubbles.
That's really encouraging.
I assume that the placements don't happen at the beginning because while my son thinks a construction site placement would be interesting, he wouldn't be able to be more specific than that because it's not something he knows enough about.

The 45 days that have to do for work experience is over 2 academic years. So he doesn't have to start it right at the beginning no. I'd definitely go into the college as see if you can speak with the construction T Level tutor. They can take you through the criteria for the course.

Thank you. We will be going to an open evening next month.

I think placements will be very hard to come by.

I work for a construction firm. Most sites don't allow under 18's to set foot on them. We can only send young apprentices to domestic and retail etc properties. We are given incentives to take apprentices on. What incentive is there to take someone on work experience given the disruption (our workers travel in a van in pairs, an extra person won't fit in), then it just slows you down generally. Many firms are suspicious of college courses and don't even know what T levels are still. They want a permanent apprentice they can train to their ways and send to college 1 day per week.