Industry Placements

An industry placement is a longer-term, more structured work placement that enables learners to develop real work skills whilst making a meaningful contribution to your organisation.

Watch this short film to find out how employers are benefitting from having an industry placement student working with them:

Watch this short film to find out how students are benefitting from industry placements: 

 Benefits for your business include:

• creating a talent pipeline for the future and facilitating recruitment
• extra resources for projects and help to fill skills gaps
• fresh ideas and input from the next generation
• enhanced reputation in your community as an employer of choice
• opportunity to build a more diverse workforce
• developing mentoring and supervisory skills of existing staff

Industry placements give you the opportunity to work alongside the next generation of workers entering your industry, making sure they develop the right knowledge, attitude and practical skills to succeed.

Placements last at least 315 hours (approx. 45 days) and can be in blocks, a day a week, or a mix of these, depending on the nature of the work and the needs of the organisation.

T Levels, or Technical Levels, are new courses being introduced in September 2020, which will be equivalent to 3 A Levels and offer a new choice after GCSEs. These 2-year courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares students for work. Every T Level will include a relevant industry placement with an employer.

To help learners to gain invaluable industry experience and help prepare for the introduction of T Levels, employers across all sectors are being invited to work with local training providers to offer industry placements now and benefit from having a placement student in the workplace.

If you’re an employer interested in offering an industry placement, please contact us at [email protected]

The government’s employer support website for industry placements has lots of information and resources to help you get started, including toolkits and webinars.

T Level subjects

T Levels are being introduced in 25 subjects over the coming years, with the first being Design, surveying and planning (construction), Digital production, design and development and Education.

Find out when further subjects are being introduced

T Levels in Oxfordshire

T Levels will be available in the following sectors from September 2021 with the following colleges in Oxfordshire:

Abingdon & Witney College:

• Digital
• Education (early years)
• Healthcare Science

Find out more or contact Abingdon & Witney College.

Activate Learning:

• Digital Production, Design and Development
• Healthcare Science

Find out more

Head to the government’s T Levels website for more information and guidance.