Schneider Electric: Part 1 – Planning and Preparation

Introduction

This is Part 1 of a case study showing the organisation’s journey with T Levels and industry placements. It is about planning and preparing for placements.

Part 2 is about recruiting, selecting and onboarding students, and will be published in autumn 2024. Part 3 is about the experience of delivering placements and will be published in 2025.

Who it’s for

It will be useful for:

• • Employers who already host industry placements and offer jobs (or may want to offer jobs) to T Level graduates
  • Employers who want to increase a) the numbers of placements they offer, b) the proportion of T Level graduates who become apprentices in the organisation
  • People in larger organisations who are responsible for early careers, apprenticeships and recruitment
  • Staff supporting students as line managers and mentors

Although it features a large utility company, the resource is relevant to organisations of all sizes and types, in all sectors of the economy.

The organisation

Schneider Electric (SE) is a global company providing systems and products that help people and organisations use electricity safely, efficiently and in ways that conserve energy and other natural resources.

SE employs more than 135,000 employees globally. Over 4,000 people are employed in the UK and Ireland in SE’s manufacturing facilities and international distribution centres. SE’s early careers programme includes a wide range of apprenticeship and graduate pathways in different business functions.

The Digital Energy Business Unit at SE uses digital technologies to offer solutions for power distribution, energy automation, and grid management, helping customers optimise their energy usage and operations. 

T Levels in SE

Plans to host T Level industry placements in SE are well advanced. A full-time Early Careers Development Officer has been employed to spearhead the programme within the Digital Energy business unit. The programme will then grow to support early careers across the company’s other business units.

The first cohort of T Level students has been recruited. They will join a team of SE experts and senior leaders towards the end of their first term to be welcomed into the business and undertake company induction, preparing them for the start of their industry placement from January 2025. A significant programme of development with managers, staff and has taken place to ensure that the placements are properly planned well before the students arrive.

What’s in the resource

The resource consists of six videos, which look in depth at the processes developed by SE to:

• • Support the early career team and technical managers to engage in T Levels in an effective manner
  • Develop positive partnerships with students and providers

These processes are based on the five key principles shown below:

There’s a separate video covering each of these principles, plus an introductory video to give the background. Go to the video you’re most interested in to see how SE is turning its T Level placement principles into action.

Introduction

• • Dawn Helsby, Early Careers Development Officer
  • T Levels in SE
  • Start small and grow big

Partnership Building

• • Building the SE team and identifying placement sites
  • T Levels and the SE talent pipeline

Engaging Interest

• • Where to place T Level students in the business
  • Building links with T Level providers
  • Industry placement timeline

Recruitment Process

• • Engaging with T Level learners
  • Recruiting and interviewing students
  • Selecting students for placements

Corporate Induction

• • Business overview, health and safety and training
  • Preparing the student for progression

Industry Placement

• • Agreeing the placement objectives
  • Progress reviews
  • Onsite activities
  • Additional training