Hosting industry placements can help attract young talent.
Last year, the Government launched two-year technical qualifications for 16 to 19-year-olds, called T Levels.
T Levels are designed in collaboration with employers, and offer a combination of classroom learning and work experience through an industry placement, which runs for a minimum of 45 days.
Each T Level is equivalent to three A Levels, and they aim to equip young people with the key skills and knowledge required within industries such as digital and IT, construction, business and administration, education and childcare, and legal, finance and accounting, to name a few.
T Levels also provide a progression route into apprenticeships, higher education, or entry-level employment.
These new qualifications are an important way of training the next generation and can help boost opportunities for talented young people. They also provide councils with an opportunity to engage with young people and promote their workplace as an attractive destination to work in the future.
The LGA is working closely with the Department for Education and the Gatsby Foundation to support local authorities looking to host industry placements and help them reap the short- and long-term benefits of T Levels.
“T Levels provide councils with an opportunity to engage with young people”
Taking on a T Level industry placement offers councils access to a pool of highly skilled and academic young people, and allows them to contribute directly to the skills, knowledge and opportunities of young people in their area, helping them to establish a future working in public services.
This in turn increases awareness and understanding of local government, and provides a diverse pool of work-ready young people to fill future vacancies.
Several councils have already taken on T Level industry placements. One of them is Oldham, which recently took on a number of students studying a digital T Level.
Aki Khan, the council’s Learning and Development Commissioner, said line managers were initially “a bit hesitant” about hosting placements.
“But it became quickly apparent that these guys are clearly self-motivated,” he added.
“A lot of the work that we gave them, they led independent research on… It really changed perceptions and increased the skills of mentors and line managers as well. It was quite easy to nurture them and support them… because they were really eager to learn.”
As well as helping to shape the workforce of the future, T Level industry placements can increase capacity within teams, and offer development for potential line managers and mentors.
The LGA’s T Level Support Programme aims to ensure councils have the capacity to engage, plan and deliver high-quality industry placements, and will add efficiency to the process while ensuring placements are effective for both the council and the young person.
The LGA is offering direct help to councils, with up to five days of flexible support throughout the two-year programme, and will work with each council closely to ensure best use of the support available. This can include finding a T Level provider, line management and mentor training, and help with the recruitment process.
As well as this one-to-one support, councils – by signing up to the LGA’s programme – will have access to the T Level toolkit, which includes a wealth of resources designed to help them deliver high-quality industry placements.