FCDO Services: Delivering industry placements - Part 2
Introduction
This is Part 2 of a case study showing how a Civil Service organisation:
- Delivers a successful industry placement programme
- Applies the lessons learned from an earlier pilot programme (see Part 1 of the case study)
Who it’s for
It will be useful for anyone in the Civil Service who is responsible for:
- Promoting T Levels and industry placements
- Planning industry placement programmes
- Managing and coordinating placements
- Selecting and preparing students
- Supporting them in the workplace
- Managers and leaders interested in developing future talent pipelines
The organisation
FCDO Services is part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. It provides a range of secure 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. We have bases in the UK, at King Charles Street in Westminster, and at our main base at Hanslope Park, near Milton Keynes.
What’s in the resource
There are four sections:
Each section contains:
- A short audio clip which describes the actions the team took
- Quotes from T Level students, FCDO leaders and managers during an event at Bletchley Park to celebrate innovation, held in February 2025
Transcripts of the audio are also provided.
Preparing the student
The plan for Day 1 remained the same. However, based on feedback from the pilot we improved the onboarding, so students had more time to find out about their placements, meet their teams and get a better knowledge of FCDO Services before starting.
This year the Apprenticeship Management Team adapted their induction, for new apprentices, which runs every year, so that the T Level placement students were also included. The aim was to ensure that they felt settled within their new workplace, developed their knowledge of FCDO Services, and gained the essential information that they needed to know for their role. It also gave them the opportunity to develop their communication and networking skills, by meeting with apprentices, the teams that they will be working with and having lunch with the directors.
We wanted to make them feel that they were part of the team and create a network of colleagues that they would be working with. It takes time behind the scenes to set it up so every student is part of the team from Day One – but it’s definitely worth the effort.
“It’s been great to work with apprentices – they seem to be enjoying it!” Engineering T Level student
“Everybody’s somebody here. They don’t see me just as a T Level student. I feel accepted as part of the business. I meet different staff members and do independent tasks which show my capability.” Digital T Level student
“There’s a culture of buy-in to apprenticeships in FCDO Services which has translated into T Levels as well. Line managers and team members give up their time to placements because ultimately, they see the benefits to the organisation.” Head of Engineering and Operations Skills & Technical Training Lead
Supporting the student
It’s a very supportive environment. The attitude is ‘We want you to be part of us’. All the managers and colleagues are happy to show students what they do and talk to them about their jobs. FCDO Services is a fast-moving business, so we make sure that students move between projects that have a real, significant impact.
This year we used current or qualified apprentices as buddies, as they have recent experience of managing work whilst studying. They have been really supportive in helping the T Level students put their theoretical skills into practise, whilst achieving the learning goals set. In fact, we gave the apprentices a say in the programme, and they were instrumental in putting it all together.
Sometimes as a more experienced worker, it can be difficult to reflect on a job role that you have been doing for a while, so giving students this connection with apprentices has been a huge benefit and is helping us deliver a more meaningful T Level placement opportunity.
“The placements for T Level students are created around our experience of apprenticeships, so they’re not brand new for us. It means we can identify what each student should do from week to week and what opportunities exist for them within our projects, so they get a wider view of the business.” Head of Engineering and Operations Skills & Technical Training Lead
“Working on different projects helps me make sense of the organisation as a whole. I’m supported very well which means I can adapt to different tasks.” Engineering T Level student
“I look after the students when they come in. We have a touch point for an hour every day where I check in with them and ask them how it’s going. Quite often I make small changes to their work timetable so it’s more relevant to what they’re studying in college.” Engineering and Operations Learning & Skills Development Manager
Monitoring and reviewing progress
In the pilot last year, we set goals in the learning agreement with the student and the college prior to starting the placement. This year, we did this at the first review instead, which gives students the opportunity to learn more about their placement first and decide what they really want to learn more about.
The line managers who coordinate the T Level placement within their department have regularly weekly check ins to see how the student is progressing and if there are issues. This is important to ensure that they’re getting the most out of their placement and to see if there are any areas of development or a specific department that they wish to learn more about. It’s important that some of these check-ins are face to face and make sure to plan time some for informal activities such as a lunch, including apprentices from the same business areas. These are a useful way of supporting the T Level student to develop their network of colleagues.
“One of the things I do with my line manager is to reflect on how what I’m learning in the placement is incorporated in my college course. I have a lightbulb moment sometimes – I do know this! It helps me to have a more independent understanding of what I’m learning.” Digital T Level student
“I don’t feel under pressure too much. I can always ask somebody if I’m not sure. Yesterday I was working with an apprentice, and I felt confident enough to ask what the next steps are. I don’t always need to ask – when I finish a task there’s always something else to move on to. Digital T Level student
“We can create more scenarios for the students to develop the skills that aren’t always available in a project. Everything in FCDO Services is bespoke so it’s quite easy to do.” Head of Engineering and Operations Skills & Technical Training Lead
The student’s experience
We realised from the pilot how important it is to gain feedback from the students to ensure that we provide a worthwhile placement to them. The reviews we did in the pilot shaped the placements to ensure that students were able to work with the departments that they were interested in and wanted to find out more about. It also showed us what placements were the most beneficial to them and matched with their T Level studies.
This definitely helped us to plan the second cohort’s placements. It’s given us a better idea of what is covered in a department, so it’s been easier to place the students this year and has taken less time for us to organise.
The knowledge gained from the T Level digital pilot also allowed us to develop the new placement for our T Level engineering students, even though they would be working in completely different areas and develop different skills.
We’re continuing this review process with the students, as it is essential for the continuous improvement of the future schemes that we hope to deliver. Our aim is to ensure that they can develop their practical and employability skills, whilst feeling a part of the workforce, which is why regular reviews and check-ins are so important.
As an employer, reflecting on all the skills we use in our day-to-day lives, it’s really important to remember when working with T level students that it’s not just the qualification that needs to be focused on. At FCDO Services our placements are planned to give them opportunities to develop their confidence and feel a part of the team that they are with, as this will ensure that they have the employability skills that we need from them in the future.
“I picked the T Level because of how I can apply my skills. It’s showing me not just what I know but how it’s used, so I’m seeing everything from a work perspective. I’m seeing different teams and infrastructure, which is giving me an overview of what the organisation does, and I get the chance to network as well.” Digital T Level student
“I had an idea of what I wanted to be, and I’ve always liked the practical hands-on side of things. When I do different jobs as part of my placement, I get the chance to turn theory into practice. I hope my next step will be an apprenticeship where I can gain more experience.” Engineering T Level student
“T Levels for us are all about talent. We want to interest and inspire young people in the work we do at FCDO Services so they can explore the opportunities from early on. The question is, ‘How do we give young people the skills that start to equip them for a career?’. “We don’t want to lose them for a few years while they go away and do something else. We want them to see straightaway the depth and immersion in technology and its application that takes place throughout the organisation. The acid test for T Level placements is that we know they’re working when they generate the kind of interest we’re seeing here today.” Mike Astell, Chief Executive Officer, FCDO Services
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