Showcasing social value through T Level industry placements
An internal procurement briefing for civil service departments
Purpose of this briefing
This briefing is for procurement, commercial and social value colleagues across central government departments. It sets out how T Level industry placements can be enabled through procurement processes as a recognised social value action, using proportionate and enabling language.
It is not intended to mandate placements or prescribe evaluation criteria. Instead, it recognises procurement teams as key enablers of supplier behaviour and shows how small, proportionate signals can support meaningful social value outcomes, including skills development, inclusion and social mobility.
Why T Levels matter for social mobility
T Levels are a core part of the government’s technical education reforms. They are two-year technical programmes, designed in partnership with employers, and combine classroom learning with a substantial industry placement that every student must complete in order to achieve their qualification.
From a social value perspective, T Level industry placements provide a practical and credible route to delivering outcomes that matter to government departments. Placements:
- give young people access to high-quality work experience that is often otherwise difficult to secure
- support social mobility by opening doors to professional environments, networks and career pathways
- help students develop practical skills, confidence and employability
From a procurement and economic perspective, embedding references to T Level industry placements within procurement activity can also help to:
- strengthen future workforce pipelines in priority sectors
- support local and regional labour markets
- encourage suppliers and their supply chains to invest in long-term skills development
These outcomes align directly with the government’s Social Value Model under PPN 002, particularly with the Fair Work and Skills for Growth social value outcomes. These outcomes support fair employment opportunities, good working conditions, and addressing skills gaps; all of which T Level industry placements are designed to contribute towards.
Why T Level industry placements matter for procurement teams
For procurement teams, T Level industry placements offer a practical way to connect procurement activity with social value outcomes, while encouraging suppliers to think about future skills needs and workforce development.
They can help procurement teams to:
- support delivery of declared social value outcomes under PPN 002
- strengthen early market engagement by opening up conversations about future skills and workforce pipelines
- encourage suppliers to invest in long-term skills development, rather than relying on one-off or transactional commitments
- apply social value proportionately, without creating unnecessary barriers for SMEs or specialist suppliers
Where T Levels can feature in the procurement lifecycle
Procurement teams play a key role as enablers of supplier behaviour. Without mandating activity, they can create the conditions that make it easier and more attractive for suppliers to offer placements.
Opportunities to do this include:
- Market engagement – signalling that skills development and early-careers opportunities are valued outcomes
- Invitation to Tender (ITT) – using enabling social value prompts that invite suppliers to describe relevant activity
- Contract delivery – recognising T Level industry placements as part of wider workforce or skills commitments
Early signalling is particularly effective, as it allows suppliers time to assess feasibility and build partnerships with schools and colleges delivering T Levels.
Example enabling wording (illustrative)
The following examples show how T Levels can be referenced:
“Bidders are encouraged to describe how they support early-careers pathways, such as T Level industry placements, as part of their approach to delivering social value.”
“Where relevant to the contract, bidders may outline how they work with education providers to offer T Level industry placements or other structured work-based learning opportunities.”
Such wording:
- encourages participation without excluding suppliers
- allows flexibility based on relevance and capacity
- supports qualitative assessment of credibility and deliverability
Remember, any proposed T Level industry placement reference or request should be proportionate to the contract, relevant to the services delivered, and achievable within the contract period.
Further guidance and support
Procurement teams may find the following useful:
- Taking account of social value in the award of contracts guidance
- About T Levels and industry placements
- Supporting future talent in construction – practical examples of enabling T Level industry placements through procurement
Last updated: