Schneider Electric: Part 2 – Recruiting, selecting and onboarding students

Introduction

This is Part 2 of a three-part case study showing the organisation’s journey with T Levels and industry placements. It is about recruiting, selecting and onboarding students.

Part 1 is about planning the placement programme. Part 3 is about the experience of delivering placements and will be published later 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

The T Level industry placement programme is being spearheaded within the Digital Energy business unit. It will then grow to support early careers across the company’s other business units.

The first cohort of T Level students has now been recruited, welcomed into the business and undertaken a company induction, preparing them for the start of their industry placement. 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 three videos, which look at how SE:

• Sets up placements internally and with providers
• Recruits and selects students using an assessment centre process
• Prepares students for their placements

Starting points

• Pathways to apprenticeships and careers in SE
• Starting small and sorting out the process
• Health and safety – risk assessments
• Different roads students can go down

Assessing and interviewing students

• Key criteria – willingness to learn, attitudes and behaviours
• Assessment centre process – interview, presentation, team activity
• Students’ views
• Providers’ perspectives

Preparing for the placement

• Induction – values, teamwork, impact on the business and its customers
• Targets and progress measures
• Job awareness and future careers
• ‘Learning from the best’ – how students feel about their placements