Civil Service Organisations: T Level industry placement journey
Introduction
Purpose
This resource is an introduction to the stages involved in setting up and managing industry placements. It is designed to give Civil Service organisations clear and straightforward guidance to help them plan and deliver a high-quality industry placement programme for T Level students.
Who this resource is for
“During National Apprenticeship Week I talked about the vital role that T Levels play in the government’s skills agenda and the value of offering T Level students the opportunity to complete their industry placement within the Civil Service. These young people are at a formative stage in their career, and the national footprint, wide range of skillsets and fascinating work we do means the Civil Service is uniquely placed to support these students.”
Susan Acland-Hood, Permanent Secretary, Department for Education
The resource is for those in Civil Service organisations who are responsible for:
- Promoting T Levels and industry placements
- Planning industry placement programmes
- Managing and coordinating placements
- Preparing to host students in the workplace
- Supporting students throughout their placement
- Recruiting young people into the organisation
- Helping them to choose where to start their early careers
How it’s organised
There are five stages in the industry placement journey.
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1. Commitment |
Build a powerful case for hosting T Level students on industry placements |
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2. Planning |
Lay solid foundations for a high quality, sustainable industry placement programme |
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3. Preparation |
Get everything ready for each placement before the student starts |
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4. Delivery |
Give the student meaningful experience of working and learning |
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5. Expansion |
Make placement opportunities available to as many students as possible |
What’s in it
Each part of the resource corresponds to one of these five stages. It:
- Summarises the outcome from the stage
- Lists the key steps organisations should take
- Describes how to take them
- Gives examples to illustrate them
- Provides links to other useful resources
How to use it
You can use the resource to:
- Increase awareness of what T Levels and industry placements are and the reasons why Civil Service organisations host students on placements
- Improve understanding of how industry placements work in the Civil Service
- Help plan an industry placement programme and prepare individual placements, using the experience of other Civil Service organisations as a guide
- Learn about why and how other Civil Service organisations are expanding the number of placements they offer
Organisations featured in the resource
Every organisation’s experience of industry placements is different. No single approach works better than others and no one size fits all. As with all other employers, Civil Service organisations will develop approaches that suit them best.
However, there are many opportunities to learn from what others have done. This resource draws on the experience of Civil Service organisations that:
- Have gone through the planning and preparation stages
- Deliver placements already
- Are expanding the number of placements they offer
Their experience is interesting and instructive, but it should always be seen as a guide not a blueprint.
Department for Education
The Department for Education is responsible for children’s services and education, including early years, schools, higher and further education policy, apprenticeships and wider skills in England. Its priorities include driving economic growth through improving the skills pipeline, supporting people to work, and giving young people in every part of the country the knowledge, skills, and qualifications they need.
Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions is the UK’s biggest public service department, administering benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers. Its priorities include maximising employment, reducing economic inactivity, and helping people to start, stay and succeed in work. DWP Digital build and maintain user-friendly digital services that enable millions of people to access the help, advice and financial support they need.
FCDO Services
FCDO Services is part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It provides a range of services to support diplomacy, development and defence for the UK government. It also offers services and expert advice to foreign governments and international organisations closely linked to the UK.
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UK’s national statistical institute. It collects and publishes statistics about the economy, population and society at national, regional and local levels. It provides various services to departments and agencies and contributes to a collaborative approach across the Government Statistical Service.
Learning more
The Civil Service is committed to supporting T Levels and hosting students on industry placements. Some Civil Service organisations are already delivering placements successfully and many others are planning and preparing to deliver them during the coming months.
As more and more organisations set up and manage their industry placement programmes, many useful lessons will be learned. As the department sponsoring T Levels, the Department for Education is keen to capture as much of this experience as possible and share it across the Civil Service.
If you have any experience you would like to share with others – or any questions you would like to ask them – DfE.industryplacements@education.gov.uk
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