From T Levels to apprenticeships
Introduction
This resource provides guidance and insights into the connections between T Levels and apprenticeships and how employers can build high quality apprenticeship opportunities for industry placement students.
Who it’s for
The resource will be useful for employers that:
- Already have apprenticeship programmes or are thinking about employing apprentices
- Want to create a pipeline of well-motivated candidates for apprenticeship places
- May see the value of using current apprentices to support industry placement students
- Want to strengthen their early careers strategies
It is relevant to employers of all sizes and in all sectors.
What’s in the resource
Progression to apprenticeships
Shows what employers and students gain by having clear routes into apprenticeships and which apprenticeships are most relevant to T Level subjects
Benefits
Shows the benefits for employers when T Level students are actively encouraged to apply for apprenticeship places in:
- Their organisation
- Other organisations in the same industry
Case study
Shows:
- An employer’s experience of taking students into apprenticeships after completing their T Levels
- How one of their students made the switch from T Levels to apprenticeship the starting point for a career in the organisation
Apprentices as buddies
Shows how employers use apprentices as buddies and mentors for T Level students and what the apprentice gains from the experience
Checklist
Shows the key things employers should consider when building high quality apprenticeship opportunities for T Level students
Progression to apprenticeships
Many employers actively encourage T Level students to go on to an apprenticeship after completing their T Level, either in the organisation where they did their industry placement or another employer in the industry.
“We’ve definitely got backing from the business – our executive is really keen that we use T Levels as a way to bring new talent into the business” Julie Skinner, Progression Specialist, John Lewis Partnership.
“Our recruitment processes for T Level students are all about ambition, aptitude and attitude – they are going to smash getting into an apprenticeship, they’re going to progress so quickly, and that apprenticeship is going to catapult them”
Nicola Drury, Head of Skills and Apprenticeships, Amazon.
“We’re now tying in other employers – I’m not going to be able to offer 24 students an apprenticeship next year – I’m not fussed where they end up as long as they end up in our industry”
Phil Eves, Employment & Skills Coordinator, BAM Construction (Midlands)
Ellie Lewis became an apprenticeship construction manager at ISG after completing her T Level in June 2023.
Students who have made the step forward say that their experience on the industry placement helped them to choose their next step and continues to help them during their apprenticeship.
“I knew that I wanted to do a degree apprenticeship but doing this industry placement made me know what I want to focus on”
Daniella, T Level student, Amazon
“The T Level started things off really well for me, especially the industry placement – I had no idea that when I finished my T Level I would be working full time and doing a degree as well – it’s been a good outcome for me”
Tom Stray, Marketing Manager and degree apprenticeship student, CTECH Business Services
“The industry placement I did really helped me to see how the industry works – the skills I learned on the T Level basically carried me throughout my apprenticeship”
Elizabeth Smite, Apprentice, Lloyds Banking Group
The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education has produced a set of occupational maps to show:
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- The types of job opportunities open to people with a technical education
- The T Levels, Apprenticeships and Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) relevant to these jobs
There are 15 maps:
Each map helps to show how T Level graduates can develop their careers by building on their knowledge and skills through further learning, training and on-the-job experience.
Benefits
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- Access to skilled talent – T Level students have already learned relevant knowledge and practical skills on their placement, so they need less time and resources for initial training
- Cost-effective recruitment – taking on students after they finish their T Level is more efficient and cost-effective than recruiting apprentices from outside the organisation
- Fresh perspectives – students often bring fresh ideas, creativity, and a different perspective to the workplace during their placement, which transfer across into their apprenticeship
- Adaptable attitudes – T Level students may adapt more quickly to new working methods and technologies, which makes them potential innovators during their apprenticeship
- All-round awareness – their placement experience also means they're likely to be up to date with the latest industry trends and practices
- Loyalty and commitment – by investing in a T Level student's early career development, employers gain apprentices who feel supported and valued are more likely to stay with the organisation long-term
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- Growth and competitiveness – T Level students who become apprentices join a skilled talent pool of well-qualified employees who are crucial to the industry’s long-term future
- Collaboration opportunities – providing opportunities for students across different organisations can be part of an industry-wide approach to address skills gaps, strengthening the sector as a whole
- Enhanced reputation – by actively promoting progression from T Levels to apprenticeships, employers demonstrate their commitment to social mobility, raising their reputation among customers, partners, and potential future employees
- Workforce mobility – having had similar training and experiences, T Level students are more likely to fit in with apprenticeships throughout the sector, potentially reducing recruitment costs and time
- Skills shortages – moving T Level students into apprenticeships helps to address industry-wide skills shortages and gaps more effectively, creating skilled employment opportunities and contributing to the economic development of the region
Case study – ISG
ISG is an international construction services company based in London and has hosted over 50 T Level students on industry placements since 2022.
Emma Simpson, Early Careers Talent Partner at ISG , describes the students as “a great pool of talent who we can develop within early careers”.
In this video, Emma talks about:
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- The background to industry placements in ISG
- Why T Level students succeed as apprentices
Ellie Lewis became an apprenticeship construction manager at ISG after completing her T Level in June 2023.
The placement provided a flying start into the apprenticeship:
“My favourite part in the placement was the onsite exposure, which was just great. It gave you the practical side of the industry as well.”
Ellie decided to study for a degree apprenticeship at the same time as taking up her new job with ISG because of the career prospects offered by a higher-level qualification:
“Currently I’m in my Year 1 specialism which is construction management. In May I’ll start my rotations in different sections of the business just to make sure I’m in the right role, then I’ll go back to my specialism in Year 3.”
Ellie hopes that the degree plus five years of experience on the apprenticeship will help to take her career to new heights:
“After Year 5, I get my honours degree in construction management and get promoted to construction manager, and then hopefully in the far, far future I can progress and become as project manager with ISG.”
Apprentices as buddies
Having been on an industry placement themselves means that T Level students who progress into apprenticeships are in a good position to buddy or mentor other students.
“It’s like a full cycle – when I started at Amazon I had a mentor who really helped me and I had the chance to mentor a T Level student – it’s ben a great way to help someone else who was in a similar position as me”
Abby Aldridge, Software Development Apprentice and T Level student mentor, Amazon
The diagram below shows the ‘full cycle’ of mentoring mentioned by Abby. The cycle is seen as part of an early careers pathway from industry placement student to apprentice, then on to a team leading or first line management role:
“I’ve had to adjust to mentoring and that’s opened me up a bit more as a person in the management role – you have to adapt to different people – you have to build a relationship”
Cameron Ritchie, Trainee Site Manager and T Level student mentor, Morgan Sindall
Checklist
Download the checklist and use it to help build high-quality apprenticeship opportunities for T Level students in your organisation or with other employers.
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