T Level industry placements: guidance for education providers

Question 1

What an industry placement is

Accepted Answer

The industry placement is a mandatory part of the T Level qualification. It is designed to:

give students a substantive opportunity to apply classroom learning and gain insight into their chosen industry
help students develop the skills they need for future, skilled employment

Students must complete their industry placement to get their full T Level certificate.

Question 2

Industry placement requirements

Accepted Answer

There are several requirements you must work with employers to meet, to ensure a high-quality industry placement experience for your T Level students.

You must communicate the industry placement expectations to students and parents before enrolment – particularly where placement hours are expected to fall outside the normal academic timetable.

Placement length

The industry placement must be a minimum of 315 hours, or 750 hours for the early years educator occupational specialism of the education and early years T Level.

This length is based on international comparators. It makes sure students have enough time for substantive practical application of the course content and skills development.

Employer oversight

An employer, or employers, must oversee the industry placement. This means an industry professional who is not involved in teaching the T Level curriculum must set all placement tasks and activities.

The employer must provide:

guidance and training to support students to complete placement tasks and activities
an accurate and unbiased appraisal of the student’s performance

Apply and develop classroom knowledge

The industry placement must enable the student to apply and develop technical and employability skills by performing real tasks that support their wider learning outcomes and progression into skilled employment.

You must set the student clear, individualised, learning goals that are:

relevant to their T Level course
regularly reviewed throughout the placement

To complete their industry placement, a student must be able to show they have made clear progress against their learning goals.

Question 3

Your responsibilities

Accepted Answer

T Level providers have overall responsibility for organising and supporting the delivery of the industry placement.

As a T Level provider, you are responsible for:

communicating placement expectations to students before enrolment
planning and sourcing placements
agreeing industry placement learning goals with employers and students
preparing the student for placement
ensuring employers understand and comply with their roles and responsibilities
safeguarding the student while they are on placement, including supporting those with additional needs
conducting regular placement review meetings to monitor progress towards completion
deciding whether the student has met the completion criteria or, where appropriate, applying special consideration
submitting placement data for every student and making sure all required paperwork is completed and retained

You can adapt the templates and forms provided alongside this guidance. You must make sure you include all the most important components and content in the templates and forms when you make your own versions.

Question 4

Delivery approaches

Accepted Answer

Industry placements must give students a substantive opportunity to apply their learning, develop their skills over time and contribute to real work activities.

Where possible, you should aim to arrange an external placement with a single employer for the full duration (minimum 315 hours). Students typically benefit most from a single industry placement in a real workplace, which gives them enough time to:

settle into the work environment
develop their skills
complete tasks independently

We recognise this is not possible in all cases and there is no single required delivery model for an industry placement. You can use a range of approaches to deliver a high-quality placement, and we encourage innovation in ensuring the core placement requirements are met.

For some sectors or locations, a combination of approaches may provide the most appropriate way of delivering the industry placement.

You should therefore work with employers to design an industry placement that reflects:

ways of working within the sector
local employer capacity
the types of activities and experiences available to the student
the student’s stage of learning and readiness
meaningful employer interaction and oversight

We have given some examples of how you can use different approaches to design and tailor industry placements for your T Level students, within the core requirements. There are recommendations for how each approach should be used, but it is ultimately for you to decide the suitability of an approach and how it is applied.

For the early years educator specialism of the education and early years T Level, students must spend a minimum of 750 hours in a real workplace to meet the criteria to get a license to practice. An important part of the assessment process for this specialism also involves evaluating skills in real working situations.

Example of combining different delivery approaches

For example, Sunderland College, Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK and MADE NE have collaborated to develop a range of approaches to deliver the industry placement requirements for their students.

Learners complete a staged placement, starting with induction and preparation, before moving into supervised activity within a live manufacturing environment.

Students then take part in real engineering tasks, such as fault-finding and installation, before completing a team-based project with a second employer, in this case Northern Gas Networks.

This approach allows learners to apply their classroom knowledge in real settings, develop practical skills, and has led to increased employer confidence and student progression into apprenticeships.

Part-time work

A student can count the hours they have worked in a part-time job as part of their industry placement, if the work is occupationally relevant to the T Level course.

You will need to oversee the placement and ensure safeguarding in the same way as any other external placement.

Example of part-time work

For example, a student studying the craft and design T Level might work at a local jewellery shop at the weekend. This job involves:

hands-on experience with minor jewellery repairs and maintenance
building an understanding of sales and marketing through assisting with orders and product placement

These tasks are relevant to their T Level, so the student can count their weekend hours as part of their industry placement hours.

Pathway or route placement

A student can do a placement relevant to the broader T Level content from their pathway or route, rather than just the student’s occupational specialism.

The pathway is the T Level subject that the occupational specialism sits in. The route is the group of subjects that the T Level sits in.

Example of pathway or route placement

For example, a student studying the adult nursing occupational specialism could do their industry placement in a setting relevant to either the:

health T Level pathway – such as in a hospital, community health centre or GP surgery
core content shared across the broader health and science route – such as a clinical research facility, to learn about good clinical practice and data management

Work taster activities

A student can spend some placement hours on work taster activities to help them better understand the industry or sector they want to work in.

You should use no more than 35 hours for this approach.

Example of work taster activities

For example, a student studying the management and administration T Level may join a company for a day and:

shadow different teams
attend workshops
sit in on meetings

These activities provide a broad understanding of the industry. This helps the student make informed choices about where they want to do their industry placement.

Multiple employers

A student can split their industry placement hours across multiple employers.

The student must work to meet a single set of learning goals throughout to make sure their placement experience is coherent.

All employers must write an appraisal of the student’s performance.

You should make sure students have enough time with each employer to get depth of experience. You should use no more than 2 employers, unless:

a student would benefit from broader sector exposure
this does not work from an employer’s perspective – for example, because the work is of a short-term nature

Example of multiple employers approach

For example, a student studying the health T Level splits their industry placement between 3 different employers across the local NHS integrated care system.

This network includes a hospital, a care home and a pharmacy. This gives the student a comprehensive experience across multiple healthcare settings.

Remote hours

A student can undertake placement hours remotely if they need to – for example, because it reflects the employer’s wider working practices.

We define ‘remote’ to mean any time the student spends working not face-to-face with an employer and away from the physical workplace.

You should make sure:

the employer is set up to support a student working remotely
the student has a suitable environment to work from

The student must:

be prepared to work remotely
be able to complete tasks independently
get the appropriate equipment
be able to use online tools to communicate and collaborate

We recommend using remote hours for no more than 20% of the placement where possible, with students spending most of their time working face-to-face with an employer. This will better support meaningful employer interactions and allow them to more fully immerse themselves in an organisation.

Where remote working is established practice

Remote working is established practice in some sectors. Not all placement employers will have a physical workplace for the student to attend.

The industry placement should reflect the work environment that learners will progress onto.

So in some sectors, such as digital, it may be more appropriate for learners to spend more than 20% of their placement working remotely.

Example of a placement that includes remote hours

For example, a student doing a T Level in the digital route does their industry placement with a large tech company which takes a hybrid working approach.

The student spends initial time in the office to help induction and build relationships with colleagues. They help to code, debug, and test software.

For the final portion, the student works remotely from home. The provider makes sure the student has the appropriate facilities and environment to work safely and independently. The student also catches up with her employer daily.

Small team project

A student can work in a small team to plan and implement a project, which an employer oversees. They can do this on an external site, for example the employer’s workplace, or in your own facilities.

Projects should be stretching and relevant to the T Level. Each student must:

have a clear role and responsibilities
understand how the project supports their learning goals

An external employer must supervise the project. The employer must:

monitor progress against learning goals
give feedback
run at least one formal review meeting for each student on the project

Team sizes should be small – 5 to 7 students per team – to ensure effective skills development.

Tasks for small team projects should be based around a real scenario for the employer – ideally a live challenge.

Where possible, we recommend this approach is used for no more than one third of the industry placement. This is to make sure the student spends most of their time in an external environment, gaining a true-to-life experience of the workplace.

Example of a small team project

For example, 4 media, broadcast and production T Level students work with a local charity to produce a short documentary. Using college facilities, the team plans, pre-produces and films the documentary.

The charity supervises and conducts regular check-ins to ensure the project meets their brief and students present their final documentary to the charity’s senior team. This hands-on experience helps to make sure the students can apply their skills to an employer brief.

Skills hub and training centre

A student can spend time in a skills hub or training centre to:

improve their work readiness
meet an employer’s minimum starting requirements
develop technical skills in a safe, controlled environment

They can do this on an external site or in your own facilities. An employer must oversee any training or skills development activity, so it complies with the core placement principles.

This approach can involve:

physical training facilities
simulated environments
technologies such as augmented reality

You should only use this approach if:

it works with employer practice
an employer already uses these types of environments to train staff

We recognise deliverability across regions and within different pathways will vary, but you should use this for no more than one third of the placement.

Example of using a skills hub or training centre

For example, a student on a T Level in the engineering and manufacturing route might spend a portion of the industry placement in a specialised welding workshop or virtual reality nuclear operation simulator.

These environments replicate:

real-world conditions including machinery and equipment
environmental factors like temperature and pressure

This allows students to practice skills safely before they enter real workplaces.

Use of the provider’s site

You should only use on-site placement opportunities when:

it’s in the student’s best interests – for example, if they have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) or barriers to learning
you can match tasks carefully with the student’s learning goals

The student must not be supervised by their course teacher or be working in their normal learning environment. This is to ensure sufficient separation from the taught content.

We recommend you supplement any onsite work placement hours with an opportunity to work with an external employer where possible – for example, on a small team project or with hours in the employer’s usual workplace setting.

A student can also complete their placement with another education provider – for example, a student studying the science T Level in a school sixth form could work in the laboratory of a local college.

Example of using a provider’s site

For example, a student with SEND studying the animal care and management T Level might complete their industry placement in the college’s on-site agricultural facilities, such as the college’s greenhouse or animal care unit.

This environment provides a supportive and accessible setting where the student can develop employability and technical skills.

Students in custodial settings

A student in a young offender institution or other custodial setting can do their full industry placement hours in the institution’s on-site facilities, for example in:

an onsite restaurant
a workshop for manufacturing products

Question 5

Students self-sourcing a placement

Accepted Answer

It is your responsibility to ensure all students have an industry placement opportunity, but some students may choose to find their own placement.

You remain responsible for approving all placements, including those self-sourced by students.

Students can identify or contact employers, but you must verify that every placement:

aligns with the T Level’s technical content and learning goals
offers meaningful, safe and supervised work
meets the minimum hours and completion criteria

If a student chooses to self-source, you must provide appropriate support, including help with:

researching employers
setting up email alerts
collating employer contacts
drafting an introductory letter or email to employers
speaking confidently to employers on the phone

You must also manage a self-sourced placement the same as one you have organised. Our self-sourcing guidance has more information.

Placements where students have an existing relationship with the employer

A student should not do their industry placement with a family member or employer they have a close personal affiliation with, unless the existing relationship is because of current part-time employment.

This is to:

remove any potential bias when you discuss the student’s progress toward their learning goals
make sure the student can work with new people

But this can be a viable option if:

you are satisfied that the employer can offer the student a meaningful placement – for example, an agriculture placement on a family farm
the student’s supervisor is not a family member

Question 6

Timing and working pattern

Accepted Answer

There are no set requirements for the timing or working pattern of the industry placement.

The 3 most common models are:

day release – students do their placement for one or two days per week alongside classroom learning
block release – students complete their placement in full-time blocks, typically several consecutive weeks, when employers have more capacity or project work available
mixed or flexible model – a blend of day release and block periods, designed with employers to fit business and curriculum needs

You should work with the placement employer to decide the appropriate placement timing and working pattern. Consider:

how the placement is being delivered – for example, external workplace placement or onsite project overseen by employer
how the timing and working pattern fits with the employer’s availability and industry practice, where relevant
how ready the student is for the placement
how many hours the student can work each day
the employer’s minimum starting requirements and suggested prior learning
building in contingency for a student to make up any missed hours
planning the placement around assessment schedules
any more student needs that you need to accommodate before the placement starts

Question 7

Objectives and learning goals

Accepted Answer

You must agree placement objectives, learning goals and typical activities with employers for every industry placement and ensure these are recorded in the placement agreement and the student logbook, or an equivalent template or software.

We have published guidance and templates to support this process.

All students must record their progress towards their placement objectives and learning goals in their logbook, or an equivalent template or software.

Placement objectives

You must agree up to 3 high-level objectives with employers.

These act as broad areas of focus for the industry placement.

They should reflect the key outcomes for the student and align with employer opportunities and the T Level curriculum.

Learning goals

You must agree a set of individualised and stretching learning goals for each student to measure their progress against. These should be linked to the industry placement objectives.

Learning goals should be set in collaboration with the T Level teacher, the placement employer and the student. These should align with the tasks the students will undertake and the skills they will develop.

Learning goals must be a mix of technical and employability skills. Each student should have a minimum of three each.

Typical activities

You must agree the main activities the student will do during their industry placement. Link these to the student’s learning goals and the overall placement objectives.

We have provided examples of typical tasks for each T Level. You can adapt these examples to meet:

the needs of the employer
the stage of the student’s development

As the industry placement continues, you should review the activities and introduce new ones to reflect the student’s progress toward their learning goals.

Industry placement agreement

You must get the student and employer to sign an industry placement agreement before the placement starts.

We have published a template with this guidance. You can adapt it if you need to.

If you use your own template, include:

the student’s unique placement details, including the employer details
the student’s weekly hours, start and finish times, and duration
the placement objectives, learning goals, typical activities and progress indicators
the professional workplace behaviours and attitudes
your provider’s main point of contact for the student and employer during the placement
the student’s main responsibilities – for example:
- arriving on time
- reporting sickness
- agreeing to attend regular review meetings with their provider and employer
- updating their student logbook
the consequences if a student cannot meet these expectations

It is good practice to show the agreement to the student’s parents or carers.

The agreement as a formal record

You must keep a signed copy of the industry placement agreement for at least 3 years for monitoring purposes.

You can use this agreement as a formal record of the industry placement, to supplement the:

student’s T Level certificate
employer appraisal

The student can use it when they look for skilled employment.

Question 8

Supporting students with additional needs

Accepted Answer

Students with SEND

You must identify the individual needs of a student with SEND and give the right level of support, so they have fair access to the industry placement.

This includes all students with learning barriers or additional needs – not just those with an education, health, and care plan.

A student with SEND may need a more intense programme of work preparation and ongoing support during their industry placement. You can use existing funding for this, such as high needs or disadvantage funding, with T Level industry placement funding.

Meeting your equality duties for students with SEND

You must make reasonable adjustments for a student with a disability to enable them to undertake their industry placement without substantial disadvantage. This is part of the Equality Act 2010.

You should share relevant information about a student’s disability and needs with the employer, with the student’s consent.

Before you decide the best working environment for a student, you may want to consider issues including their:

additional learning needs
medical conditions
ability to travel independently
career interests

You can take different delivery approaches if an external workplace placement is inaccessible for a student with SEND.

Reasonable adjustments

You must discuss and arrange reasonable adjustments with the employer and student before the industry placement starts.

Reasonable adjustments should be assessed in a structured, individual and ongoing way. Focus on removing barriers, not applying a one size fits all approach.

It is important to monitor and review regularly to check if adjustments are working effectively, still needed or need adapting. Needs may change over time, so reviews should be ongoing.

Students with other commitments

You should find out about any other significant commitments a student has as early as possible. For example, caring responsibilities could restrict the number of weekly hours that a student can commit to their industry placement. You can manage this if you identify it early.

Placements are recorded in hours instead of days to allow for different working patterns and shorter days. This is to accommodate other commitments or special needs.

You must respond to a student’s needs to make it as easy as possible for them to attend their industry placement. This includes considering the maximum distance a student can travel to complete placement hours in an external setting.

Question 9

Preparing students for placement

Accepted Answer

Work readiness expectations

You need to develop the student’s work readiness as part of their preparation training.

Students need to be taught the basics, such as good timekeeping, teamwork and organisational skills, even if they are not entering a live work environment as part of their placement.

The T Level teacher should be involved in student preparation training, because they know about the qualification requirements and curriculum content.

Behaviour and attitude in the workplace

You should consider any concerns about behaviour or attendance when deciding whether to send a student on an external placement.

This could:

have a severe impact on the quality of the placement
risk the student failing to complete the placement
affect the employer’s commitment to offer future placements
affect your reputation
affect the T Level programme’s reputation

What students need to be able to do before the placement

You must ensure every student is prepared to work in a professional environment and that they:

understand the industry placement objectives and learning goals they are working to meet
understand the technical skills, knowledge and employability skills needed for their placement
understand the professional standards of behaviours and attitudes they need to display on their placement – for example punctuality, reliability, communication and proactivity
understand why they need to meet the organisation’s policies and procedures, including on the use of their personal mobile phone and social media
have researched the organisation their placement will be with
understand why networking matters and how to use professional networking sites, such as LinkedIn
understand what to do and who to speak to if they are anxious or if a problem arises while they are on the placement
know the practical arrangements, such as:
- the days they need to attend
- the start and finish times
- whether they are being paid
- whether their expenses are being covered
- their travel arrangements
- how to report lateness or absence

Employers may also expect students to know how to use some online software before they start, such as Microsoft Office, Excel or Computer Aided Design.

Encourage students to:

ask questions if they need clarification about their work on the placement
ask for help if they are worried about anything or have any safety concerns

The student and employer should meet before the placement begins, to manage expectations and stop issues from occurring later.

Using enrichment, employability, and pastoral support

You can use the enrichment, employability, and pastoral support and work taster activities in the first or second year of the T Level programme to help students to prepare.

We fund providers to include up to 70 hours for this support each year in the T Level programme. This offers enrichment to students, such as personal and social development.

Getting employers’ feedback

You should ask the employer to feed back on how prepared the student was in your industry placement review meetings.

You can use this feedback to help future curriculum planning. For example, if a lot of employers say students are not prepared with a specific skill, you can change the curriculum to take account of this.

Application and interview skills

Employers may prefer to select a student for placement in their own way. You should be ready to support whatever process they use.

You should:

support each student to write a CV and cover letter
give each student interview preparation and interview skills guidance

Encourage students to research the employer they have an interview with. They should have a good understanding of:

the products or services the organisation provides
its vision, values and culture
the organisational structure
whether it has a local, national, or international focus

They should also read about the organisation’s recent news.

You should tell employers about each student’s:

level of knowledge and skills
prior experience of work
other individual circumstances that might affect their performance, if there are any

You must also make sure all students with the relevant knowledge, skills and behaviours have access to any selection process for roles.

Employers have legal duties under the Equality Act that prohibit them from discriminating against any protected characteristics in the selection process.

Work readiness tools and resources

You can use tools and resources to support your work readiness activities.

The student work readiness tool will help you design relevant preparation activities to support the student, by identifying any knowledge gaps, concerns or areas of support they need.

The guide on how to prepare students has detailed advice on what to include in your preparation training. It includes an example best practice curriculum.

The student guide gives students advice and shows them where to find online resources to help them prepare for the workplace. For example, it helps them to write a CV and prepare for an interview.

Barclays’ Life Skills and Accenture’s Skills to Succeed Academy have some useful free resources. You can use these to help with employability skills preparation.

Tools available from Start can help a student write their CV.

We have published example interview questions.

The National Careers Service also offers free online tools to help students build their CV and prepare for interviews.

You can also use the skills builder framework with your students. Use this to assess and develop important employability skills that students need for the workplace.

Question 10

Overseeing the placement

Accepted Answer

You are responsible for industry placement administration. This includes:

arranging the review meetings
guiding employers through the necessary paperwork
advising on reasonable adjustments

You should try to limit the amount of administrative work an employer has to do. This is particularly important because some will work with more than one T Level provider.

Wherever possible, you should be flexible in adapting your placement processes, working patterns and paperwork to support employers to work in partnership with multiple providers.

Each student should have a structured learning experience throughout the placement.

The employer should give the student constructive feedback throughout the placement. They should not wait for formal review points. This will help to keep the student motivated, rectify mistakes and continuously develop during the placement.

Review meetings

You must arrange regular review meetings across the whole industry placement with the student and the employer.

You should arrange a minimum of 3 review meetings.

If the student splits industry placement hours between multiple employers, you should plan review meetings to make sure each work environment reviews the student’s performance. All employers should write an appraisal of the student’s performance.

This is relevant, for example, if the student does a small team project with one employer and an external placement with another employer.

Use the review meetings to:

check the student has settled into their work environment
check the student knows the health and safety protocols
check the placement is meeting both the employer’s and student’s expectations, and the conditions in the placement agreement are being met
check that any reasonable adjustments are working well
discuss progress toward the student’s learning goals
check the student has suitably stretching activities
update learning goals if you need to
check that the student’s wellbeing and working conditions are manageable
discuss any issues or challenges – you must take quick and transparent action to resolve any issues

The review meetings do not all have to be in person. Where a student is on an external placement, conduct at least one review meeting at the student’s workplace so you can check the suitability of their working environment.

At the final review meeting, you must decide if the student has met the industry placement completion criteria. You can use and adapt the final review meeting template for this.

You must record what you have discussed in review meetings and keep this to inform the completion decision at the end of the industry placement. This can also be used as evidence in case of an appeal from the student.

You should also hold informal check-ins with the student and employer. Prioritise students who need additional support or where concerns have been raised.

Tracking placement progress

Every student must keep a placement logbook, or an equivalent reflective tool, to regularly reflect on their personal and technical development during the placement.

The logbook should be a live document, so the student can record progress. It should include self-reflection and written feedback after they complete a project or task.

You must check the student is completing their logbook at regular intervals.

The employer should have regular access to the logbook, so they can make sure it is accurate.

A student logbook template is available.

You may also use online applications or software to track and record student placements, if you can later access content for monitoring and assurance purposes.

Recording hours

A timesheet is included in the logbook template, but you or the employer can use your own versions.

The employer must regularly check the student’s timesheet, to make sure the hours recorded accurately show the hours worked.

If a student’s commute time to the employer or other external premises is more than one hour each way, you can include up to one hour of travelling time in the daily hours.

The student’s daily working hours should not include lunch breaks.

You can count public holidays towards the student’s working hours if:

this is a normal working pattern for the employer
the student has agreed to work on these days

Student sickness

You can include up to 35 hours of sickness, over the duration of the industry placement, in the placement hours.

If student sickness is more than 35 hours, you must arrange for them to make up the extra time to complete the minimum industry placement hours requirement. You can either arrange this with the same employer or a different employer.

If the student cannot make up the placement hours because of ill health, they may be eligible for special consideration.

Managing concerns or complaints

Raise and deal with any concerns about a student’s behaviour as early as possible.

You should regularly communicate with employers throughout the placement and keep up to date contact details. This is to make sure they can raise any issues about student attendance, behaviour or performance and you can resolve them quickly, avoiding placement breakdown.

You must have procedures and systems to:

tackle any underlying issues with a student
offer further support or mentoring to help the student continue with their placement

You must support an employer’s decision to withdraw their placement offer if the situation remains unsatisfactory.

End of placement handover

You should make sure the student knows what to do at the end of the placement to maximise what they get out of their experience. This includes making sure the student:

does not leave any personal documents or files on the employer’s IT equipment, such as their industry placement logbook and timesheets
does not take any other files or documents from the placement without written permission from the organisation
thanks anyone they feel made their placement a positive experience, including writing to their main contact at the employer to thank them for their help and set out what they have gained
asks the employer whether they are happy to provide a reference for further study or job applications

If a student cannot complete their placement

There may be cases where a placement ends because of a circumstance outside of a student’s direct control – for example, a change in home address.

If a student cannot complete their placement, you should make alternative arrangements with a different employer. Any placement hours already completed can still be counted towards the total hours.

Some students may not be able to complete their industry placement because ongoing behavioural issues lead to their removal from the placement.

In these cases, you must make a considered and evidence-based decision about whether the student should be offered a further placement opportunity. This should consider:

the nature and seriousness of the behaviour
the extent to which the student has engaged with support and any improvement shown
whether additional pre-placement preparation or intervention is likely to enable the student to succeed
the suitability of alternative placement models or settings
the potential impact on the new employer and if this could affect their willingness to host more students in the future

You must ensure decisions are fair, proportionate and support the student’s opportunity to complete their industry placement where appropriate.

Decisions must be clearly documented and communicated to the student, including the reasons for the outcome and any next steps or available support.

Question 11

External placement requirements

Accepted Answer

This section is specifically for when a student is undertaking an external industry placement at an employer’s workplace.

Working conditions

Industry placement hours must align with the working time regulations.

This means placements must:

be limited to 8 hours of working time a day and 40 hours maximum per week
not allow the student to work between 10pm and 6am – the provider and student can agree to change this to between 11pm and 7am
allow a 12-hour rest period between each working day
allow a 30-minute rest break if working for more than 4 hours and 30 minutes
allow 2 days’ weekly rest

The planning of placement hours must also consider any part-time working hours the student has.

The student must give consent to work weekends, evenings, early morning shifts and during the holidays. For under 18-year-olds, we advise you to seek consent from parents or carers too.

Paying the student

There is no legal requirement or expectation that a T Level student will be paid while they are on their industry placement. This is because the placement forms part of their 16 to 19 education programme. It is designed to provide students with high-quality training, not work.

Employers can pay a student if they want to. This must be agreed up front. Employers may wish to refer to guidance on making payments to students.

Alternatively, employers can cover or contribute to the cost of the student’s:

travel
lunch
uniform
equipment

You can also use the T Level industry placement funding or the 16 to 19 discretionary bursary funds to cover travel and subsistence costs. This can help to make sure the student is not financially disadvantaged.

Relevance of Modern Slavery Act

The requirement for students to do an unpaid industry placement does not contravene the Modern Slavery Act. These circumstances do not fall within the definitions of forced or compulsory labour.

Students know that they must complete an industry placement to receive full T Level certification when they sign up to the programme.

If a student no longer wants to attend their placement, they can withdraw at any time. They will instead get a statement of achievement for the T Level components they have achieved.

Travel

You must consider the student’s travel arrangements for accessing their placement and what support they might need.

This might include:

help with travel costs
training for students with SEND to travel independently
accessing local transport schemes
working with other providers to secure economies of scale in approaches to travel

You can use your T Level industry placement funding, or the 16 to 19 discretionary bursary funds, to fund individual expenses for eligible students.

Health and safety

You are responsible for safeguarding the welfare of each student throughout their industry placement.

The employer is responsible for health and safety in the workplace.

We have provided a standard employer due diligence checklist. Keep this for monitoring purposes.

Checks and monitoring should be proportionate to the level of risk. For low-risk environments, you can get assurance by speaking to the employer or completing a form, rather than a physical inspection.

You and the placement employers must be familiar with:

You should also put the necessary processes in place to share any health concerns a student has with the employer before the placement starts. For example, sign confidentiality agreements or get parental consent.

You must tell employers that they are responsible for:

providing a safe learning environment for every student
having a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying and harassment
ensuring they report all incidents to their provider contact
being alert to the possibility of abuse among their employees and students
ensuring any agreed reasonable adjustments have been put into place

Guidance for employers on legal compliance for industry placements is available.

Disclosure and Barring Service checks

Employers are not legally obliged to carry out a basic, standard, or enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check on members of staff supervising young people aged 16 or 17. This includes freelancers.

You may ask for the student’s manager or supervisor to have a basic DBS check if you think this is necessary. You should request a DBS check if a student is considered vulnerable – for example, they:

have SEND
have been in care
are likely to be working or travelling alone with an adult during their placement

You should agree with the employer who will meet these costs.

A student may need to have an enhanced DBS check before starting their industry placement in some industries. For example, in early years occupations the employer needs to check that the student is not barred from regulated activity relating to children. You can cover these costs from the T Level industry placement funding.

Employer’s liability insurance

An employer’s existing liability insurance normally covers students on industry placements, if the insurer is an ABI or Lloyd’s member.

Employers do not usually need more insurance. This reflects the national Health and Safety Executive position for work experience learners.

Employers should:

check their policy is up to date
inform their insurer they are hosting a student
contact their insurer if they are unsure if their cover applies

If they work with partners or subcontractors, employers should confirm that their insurance also covers the student.

Employers can refer to getting insurance for your business for more advice.

Commercial confidentiality

A student may have access to commercially sensitive or confidential information during their placement.

In these environments, it is normal practice for employers to put clauses in place to protect the business.

Employers may decide to draw up a confidentiality statement, or equivalent, for the student to sign. This will not be legally binding but it can:

give the employer peace of mind
show the student how important confidentiality is to the business

Supervision and training

The employer should hold a workplace induction on the first day of the placement. Employers can use the induction checklist to help them know what to cover.

We have produced several resources to help employers with managing students in the workplace, including:

The Disability Confident and CIPD guidance is aimed at line managers of young people with a disability or health condition.

Supporting students with SEND in the workplace

If a student with SEND is doing an external placement, you must work closely with the employer to make sure the student’s needs are understood and accommodated.

We have provided guidance for employers on hosting students with SEND. This includes information about supporting different needs and a checklist they can follow.

There are also examples of possible reasonable adjustments in the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s codes of practice and technical guidance.

The HSE website has health and safety guidance for disabled people in the workplace.

You may need to keep reviewing reasonable adjustments.

Working with parents and carers

You should keep the student’s parents or carers informed as the industry placement plans develop, to help alleviate any concerns about the:

employer match
agreed working pattern and daily hours

You should also assure them about the workplace safeguarding arrangements and the support that will be in place for the student during their placement.

You should arrange a conversation between parents and the employer if it is in the student’s best interest.

Question 12

Determining industry placement completion

Accepted Answer

Completion criteria

You are responsible for deciding whether a student has completed their industry placement.

To complete an industry placement, the student must have:

shown they have made clear progress toward their learning goals
worked directly with an employer, outside their normal learning environment (except for students in young offender institutions)
been on placement for a minimum of 315 hours, or 750 hours for the early years educator specialism

You can use our progress indicators to help inform your overall judgement of the student’s progress. For a student to show enough progress towards their learning goals, they must meet, at a minimum, the ‘good’ progress indicators in most ‘behaviours’ and ‘technical ability’ categories.

Employer appraisal

The employer must do an appraisal of the student’s performance, including how they have demonstrated progress toward their learning goals. They can record this at the end of the student logbook.

If the placement is split between multiple employers, each employer must do an appraisal to reflect the student’s achievements with them.

Declaration of completion

At the final review meeting, the provider and employer must sign the student completion declaration form to confirm that the student has met all the completion criteria.

Where multiple employers have been used, the form can be adapted to allow all employers to sign the completion declaration form.

Evidence requirements for completion decision

You must collect evidence to support your industry placement completion decision.

You also need to keep paperwork for potential verification:

by the T Level awarding organisation
as part of routine Ofsted inspections

The following documentation should be collected and retained for 3 years, for assurance purposes:

signed industry placement agreement
objectives template
record of review meeting discussions
signed industry placement completion declaration form
SEND evidence, where applicable
employer appraisal

There should be a standardised and easily verifiable process to determine industry placement completion within your institution.

Judgements about completion must be accurate, consistent and backed by evidence.

Appeals process and feedback

You must have an internal student appeals process to deal with complaints about the industry placement completion decision.

You have a responsibility to treat all student appeals seriously and follow them up promptly.

You should actively seek feedback from all students and employers about their experience of the placement process.

You must:

pass this evidence to the appropriate staff members to support their continuous professional development
build the evidence into your continuous improvement process

Getting feedback from employers

You can use the end of placement review form to get feedback from employers.

You can adapt this to include employer feedback on student work readiness.

Student acceptance of a job offer

A student may be offered paid employment or an apprenticeship before their industry placement is complete.

This will count as a student withdrawal or non-completion for recording purposes. You must record this on the individualised learner record or school census.

Students and employers should understand the benefits of completing their T Level programme and being awarded the full T Level certificate.

If a student has completed all other T Level components, they can choose to accept the offer and complete their industry placement hours as a paid employee or an apprentice.

The industry placement responsibilities still apply:

the student needs to work towards achieving their learning goals
you still need to arrange contact time with the student
the final review point must still go ahead, to confirm the student has met the completion criteria

Question 13

Completion exceptions

Accepted Answer

Special consideration criteria

A student may face exceptional and adverse circumstances which prevent them from completing the minimum placement hours in the 2-year programme. You should make every effort to ensure the student makes up the additional hours.

If this is not possible, you have the discretion to sign off the industry placement as complete by applying special consideration, if they have met the other completion criteria. This means the student has made clear progress towards their learning goals and worked to an employer.

When you can apply special consideration

You can apply special consideration if the student has:

had a physical or mental illness, an accident or an injury at the time of the placement
had a close family member diagnosed with a serious physical or mental illness at the time of the placement
had a bereavement of a family member or close friend at the time of the placement
had a significant domestic crisis arising at the time of the placement
had a traumatic incident, or significant change in circumstances, occurring at the time of the placement
participated in significant national sporting events, training camps or other competitions
experienced a safeguarding issue at the placement workplace and they cannot make up the hours on another placement
had their placement offer withdrawn by the employer because they have gone into administration or the workplace is no longer considered a safe place to work, and you have exhausted all avenues to identify a suitable alternative placement

A student is not eligible for special consideration if none of these factors apply.

When you cannot apply special consideration

A student is not eligible for special consideration if they have not completed the minimum placement hours because of:

domestic inconvenience, such as moving house at the time of the placement
personal arrangements such as a wedding or holiday arrangements which conflict with the placement
the consequences of committing a crime, where formally charged or found guilty – you can apply a retrospective application of special consideration if the charge is later dropped, or the student is found not guilty
the consequences of taking alcohol or recreational drugs
the consequences of disobeying the employer’s code of conduct, including the employer withdrawing the placement because of the student’s behaviour or actions
the bereavement of a family member or close friend more than 12 months before the placement, unless there are ongoing implications such as an inquest or court case at the time of the placement

Question 14

Completing the placement after the T Level programme

Accepted Answer

All T Level components are valid for 2 years after the end of the programme to support students who need to complete or retake a component.

You have the discretion to allow a student 2 more years to complete their industry placement after the end of the programme. They can either do this with other T Level components or on its own.

If a student only has their industry placement to complete to achieve the full T Level certificate, where possible they should complete their placement over the summer, or by 31 October after they complete their T Level programme.

That date is the final cut-off point on the manage T Level results service for a student to be guaranteed a T Level certificate in November.

If you have not recorded industry placement completion in the service by 31 October, the student will get a statement of achievement in November to reflect the components of the T Level they have got.

It is in the student’s best interests to complete their industry placement as soon as possible. This is because onward progression into employment, further education or training may depend on them having completed the whole T Level programme.

Continuation notification form and industry placement status

You must complete the continuation notification form where a student is continuing their industry placement over the 2 years after the programme. You must make sure it is signed by the student, a member of the senior leadership team and the student’s tutor.

You should keep the completed continuation notification form and supporting evidence for monitoring purposes.

The learner’s industry placement status should be recorded as ‘no, they are still working towards completion of their industry placement’ in the manage T Level results service.

Question 15

Recording placement data

Accepted Answer

Recording learner data

Further education providers, such as colleges or independent training providers, must record industry placement data on the individualised learner record (ILR) using the learning aim ZWRKX003.

You must record details of each industry placement using the work placement entity, including the hours planned for each student’s industry placement.

You can record this in year 1 or year 2 of the T Level programme. We have published guidance on ILR recording for the T Level programme, and examples of how to do it.

Schools, for example school sixth forms and 16 to 19 academies, must input data on industry placements in the school census using the qualification number ZWRKX003.

An industry placement qualification number can have more than one work placement entity. This means a student who has had more than one placement will have one qualification number and multiple work placement entities.

Providers must input the start and end dates, and the planned hours, for each episode of a placement.

If a student started their T Level at the beginning of the academic year, you must complete the industry placement data fields on the ILR and schools census by 31 July in the student’s second academic year. This accounts for placement hours completed in the 2-year period. This must amount to 315 hours or above per student.

Recording completion

You must ensure all industry placement completion data is collected, verified and submitted in time. This is to make sure all students get complete and accurate results on T Level results day.

You must complete the industry placement ‘completion’ status for all students in their second academic year on the manage T Level results service, by 31 July.

You can submit data at any point before this date, if the student has met the completion criteria.

Early declaration on completion

If a student has not completed their industry placement by mid-June in their second year, but you are confident they will do so before 31 July, you can add an early declaration on completion.

The student must have a confirmed plan of dates in place with the hosting employer that forecasts completion before 31 July.

Late changes in completion status

If there are any late changes in status for a student’s industry placement completion, you must update them in the service no later than 31 July. This is to make sure T Level results are accurate in August.

You must build this task into your end-to-end process and carry it out on time.

Student withdrawal

If a student withdraws, you must tell the awarding organisation as soon as possible.

When awarding organisations have formally withdrawn a student, you can ask for a statement of achievement through the manage T Level results service for students who have successfully completed one or more components.

The statement of achievement will show the T Level components that the student has achieved.

We have published detailed guidance on the providers’ role, the manage T Level results service, and the steps to take.

Key dates and responsibilities

System	Date	Implications
Manage T Level results service	Around mid-June in the second academic year	Deadline for submission of industry placement completion data for students in their second year of study. We will send exact dates to providers before the deadline each academic year.
Manage T Level results service	31 July in the second academic year	Final date to make changes to industry placement completion status, for results to be calculated and issued ready for results day in August
ILR	31 July in the second academic year	Final date to complete fields on ILR to record student achievements in that academic year, and included in the R14 ILR return, to count for funding purposes
School census	31 July in the second academic year	Final date to complete fields on school census to record student achievements in that academic year to count for funding purposes

Recording special consideration

When you apply special consideration, you must record it in the manage T Level results service.

You will be asked to declare that you hold documentary evidence to support your special consideration decision. You do not have to submit the evidence, but you must keep it for monitoring and assurance purposes.

Evidence could include, but is not restricted to:

notes recorded in a student’s records
a letter confirming an appointment with social services or other welfare organisation
a hospital appointment card or dates of hospital admission
a public record of court proceedings

If you apply special consideration, you must record on the ILR industry placement learning aim that the student has completed 315 hours, or 750 hours for the early years educator specialism, even where this is not the case. This means the completion criteria is met for funding purposes.

You must also input the industry placement completion status into the manage T Level results service for all students.

If you grant special consideration, you will be prompted to:

select ‘completed – with special consideration’
type the number of hours completed in the free text box
select the special consideration criteria that applies

The Department for Education will monitor use of special consideration through the data captured in the manage T Level results service. This is to make sure it is only applied in exceptional circumstances.

If we suspect a provider of overusing special consideration, we will investigate this.

Question 16

Support available

Accepted Answer

Financial support

You will get a total of £550 per student for the industry placement element of the T Level programme. This is part of the 16 to 19 funding allocation. It is split into two payments of £275 per student for each year of the T Level programme.

You get this funding to support the infrastructure and resource you need to plan, source, deliver and monitor industry placements. You can also use it to support students’ travel to industry placements.

You can also use the 16 to 19 discretionary bursary fund to cover travel and subsistence, to make sure eligible students are not financially disadvantaged.

There is guidance on the funding available for T Levels.

Implementation support

The department has a support package in place to help you plan, design and deliver employer engagement activities to secure industry placements. Visit the events page to find and book your place on upcoming professional development opportunities.

There are tools and resources available on the department’s websites for:

There are more guidance and templates to help you deliver placements on the industry placements page of our schools and colleges website.

The department’s digital Connect service also supports local providers and employers to connect with each other.

Email industry.placements@education.gov.uk with any questions.

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