The industry placement process

Planning for an industry placement

Employers are welcomed and encouraged to work in partnership with T Level providers. Throughout the whole process of designing the structure of the placement, selecting the most suitable candidate for your business and gaining the most from the opportunity.

Some examples of what to agree with your educational provider: 

• Agree dates and times that work best for everyone.
• Discuss how often the student will attend.
• Plan the projects and tasks the student will do whilst on placement. 

The provider will assist you with understanding and taking all the steps necessary to accomplish a successful industry placement.

1. Engage with your provider to agree the details of the placement.
2. Define the timings and duration of work placements.
3. Seek guidance or collaboration from the provider on any necessary documentation to support the industry placement. 
4. Consider any reasonable adjustments that might be necessary for accommodating the placement and/or student.
5. Clearly define the role on offer that will be undertaken by the placement student and detail any skills that they will acquire. You can define and plan the content of your placement using this table available for download. Discuss any specific requirements and/or prior knowledge that you would expect before the placement can begin.
6. Understand the goals and objectives of the T Level placement from the provider perspective. View some examples of projects you can set for your industry placement students and tips for planning them. Assist your provider with industry perspectives necessary to produce documentation detailing the learning opportunities for the placement. This documentation is a tailored record of your placement mapped to study aims of the T Level. View some example templates for industrial placement objectives.
7. Consider the health, safety and well-being needs for the placement student. What kinds of induction training and continued supervision will they need whilst they are on placement? See more in step 3. 
8. Identify appropriate supervision for students, with capacity to hold regular meetings and provide feedback in support of the placement.

Download a document with examples of industry placements which will be useful in planning and agreeing the placement with the educational provider. 

Preparing for an industry placement

When the detailed planning of the placement itself is complete or nearing completion, your T Level provider will also support you on aspects of legal compliance which may include some or all the following:

Health and safety

Employers are responsible for the health and safety of students while they are on an industry placement. You must provide a safe working environment, adequate induction, and suitable training.

Health & Safety for placement students

Risk assessment

You should always complete a risk assessment before a student starts on placement. This is particularly important if you work in a high-risk sector.

Risks to young people at work

Insurance

You will need to ensure that appropriate Employer’s Liability Insurance and Public Liability Insurance is in place for the presence of and work undertaken by the placement student.

More on insurance and risks

Safeguarding

Schools and colleges are responsible for the safeguarding and welfare of students on industry placements – but they need your cooperation.

The Prevent initiative

Schools and colleges have a legal duty to take steps to prevent students being drawn into terrorism and reduce the possibility of radicalisation. This is done through the Prevent initiative. They are responsible for doing this during placements – and they need you to cooperate.

Equality

Employers and T Level providers must comply with their obligations under the Equality Act 2010

Data access and security

Your normal data and cyber-security policies and procedures will apply to industry placement students. Your organisation is responsible for complying with data protection legislation if it handles personal data, including any students that
may handle data on a placement.

For further information, please go to the GOV.UK website regarding legal compliance for industry placements .

Choosing your placement student

Like finding the right person for a full-time working role, you’ll want to find the right placement student for you. The provider will evaluate the suitability of their students to be a good fit for the interests and aims of your business based on what you tell them.

Be prepared to tell the school or college about your organisation and the nature of your business, what roles and responsibilities you can offer a placement student and the sort of person you need.

The school or college provider will find suitable students and then you can choose the right person(s) for your business.

Selection process

1. Write a placement role description.

Describe your organisation, the student’s role and responsibilities and the kind of person you’re looking for as an industry placement student.

2. Assess student applications.

As with any application to join your organisation you may wish to consider each application prior to taking it any further.

3. Interview the student applicants (most likely with the provider).

You are providing a great opportunity for young people to test their CV, application, and interview skills. Some young people will not have had expert help to prepare and may have some anxiety about taking an industry placement. Consider what you can do to help them feel relaxed and confident so they can show you their best selves during the recruitment process.

4. Communicate your decision to the provider.

Having made your decision and selection of any suitable candidates for your placement, you should allow some time for the student to confirm to you or via the provider that they would like to proceed with your offer.

During the placement

Bringing a T Level industry placement student into the business is your opportunity to target the areas of your organisation that will benefit most from new resources. A successful industry placement experience has the potential to transform a temporary part-time student into a well-motivated and engaged full-time member of staff with essential skills and experience within your business.

Assign an employee mentor to guide student progress towards their objectives, the provider will always be on hand to help with any questions or issues you have. The time invested in supporting the industry placement student by individuals within your organisation can also serve to provide enrichment within their working roles and contribute to higher productivity within the workforce.

Factors to consider during the industry placement.

On the first day:

1. Explain the main business activity and the expectations of the industry placement.
2. Conduct a health and safety induction.
3. The induction checklist will help with suggestions of what you might cover and consider during your day one student induction.

Provide those supervising the student with a platform to record their observations of the student, identifying their strengths and weaknesses.

Where possible during the placement, provide opportunities for the student to undertake an activity that produce something they can take away with them, for example an information flow or the manufacture/ assembly of a token product.

Provide feedback to the educational establishment of any issues during the work placement, usually though the observations and comments from their mentor and those that have been involved in supervising them.

Maintain records of the student in terms of attendance and any training or instruction that has been given.

Encourage and support the student in completing a logbook of the work activities they have performed during their work placement.

After the placement

Would you consider offering the placement student a permanent position or a progression route within your organisation?

At the end of a placement, conduct a review of the student’s achievements and the outcomes from their time in the business.

You can also offer valuable feedback on their level of commitment and motivation, how they adapt to new situations, and what their strengths are. You could offer advice on where they might develop their skills to achieve their career ambitions.

At the end of the placement:

Use the following template for your student review: End of placement review (student) 

Your provider may wish to conduct a review with you: End of placement review (provider)

Consider the options of bringing a young person into your workplace: T level graduate options