T Level FAQs

It is recommended that you contact your local education provider that offers the T Level(s) that you would like to host students from to start the hosting process. Employers can use the Gov.Uk website to search for providers offering relevant T Levels in their area. You can search by town or postcode, and filter by T Level subject. 

Consider the number of students that you could host to provide clarity to the education provider. Some organisations approach the conversation with a number in mind, whilst others ask the education provider to give them an indication of demand before making this decision.

You could start approaching areas within your organisation to understand which may be open to hosting T Level students. Some employers have held webinars or conversations with areas to explain what the T Level industry placement is, and the benefits it can bring to the organisation. You could also engage with your integrated care system to understand which other organisations in the system are offering T Level placements, and invite them to come speak to staff, or discuss their journey with the relevant team to be shared more widely.

• The T Level industry placement is not the same as work experience. It is likely to be longer, at 315 hours, allowing the student to embed into the organisation and focus on developing the skills learnt in their classroom study. While work experience will be observational, a T Level student should be involved with the work and directly support the team.
• Students are not only shadowing staff members but instead are able to support directly with tasks. While a precise list of tasks will be agreed with the education provider, we suggest employers working with health T Level students model suitable tasks which a healthcare assistant or healthcare support worker would do. There may be a certain amount of shadowing or observation involved, particularly when the learners are developing their awareness of the variety of roles in health and care, but it should not be the norm.
• It is possible to risk assess for young people on placement for the full age range of 16–19. There may be some areas, depending on organisation policy, which are not suitable for under eighteens, but many areas are suitable for students. To develop a suitable risk assessment, this can be modelled on the organisation’s risk assessment for all members of staff with consideration to the nuances of hosting young people (for example, the likelihood of witnessing difficult situations, how to ensure students are aware of what the placement involves and support available to students). Our supporting T Level industry placement students under the age of 18 contains guidance for employers, with further guidance from the Department for Education.

While an industry placement allows young people to gain significant experience of the workplace, an opportunity to practice their academic learning and the chance to understand more about the variety of career opportunities available in health and care, there are several aspects which are not the responsibility of the employer, including:

• Teaching new skills: employers are not expected to teach students as this is an opportunity to consolidate and practice their learning from their education provider. They will, however, learn crucial skills from colleagues such as communication and teamwork.
• Examining students: the T Level industry placement doesn’t require any formal examination from employers. The role of the employer is to host, mentor and guide the student.
• Exclusive pastoral support: employers have a responsibility to support students while on industry placement, but this should be done in collaboration with the education provider, who continues to have a pastoral responsibility.
• Ensuring attendance: employers should develop a procedure to inform the education provider should a young person not be in attendance or unwell. However, the education provider is responsible for setting expectations with students and informing them of how to make employers aware of absence.

A T Level student may wish to go on to higher education or join the workforce straight away. For a health T Level student, some employers consider themselves to have the required skills to join the workforce as a healthcare support worker or go onto level 4 or 5 apprenticeships.  

T Level industry placement students can support both the short and long term talent pipeline. They may wish to enter the workforce immediately after completing their studies, or return following the completion of further study or higher education

We recommend letting students know how their T Level could start a career in your organisation. Ensuring that, even if they go on to higher education, they are encouraged to apply for part-time roles or to join the bank whilst studying and suggest they consider roles in the organisation after finishing their studies. A student who has had a positive placement experience is more likely to consider your organisation for later employment. 

Whilst on placement, students would benefit greatly from exposure to a number of different roles in the organisation which may inspire them to consider a different avenue, and perhaps stay in health and care. This could be done through exploring rotational placements, where they visit other areas, or to have career days which could be part of the 35 hours work taster activities.

T Levels are one of the primary choices for learners after completing their GCSEs, alongside apprenticeships and A Levels:

• T Levels are designed to offer a path for learners wishing to enter skilled professions. T Level students typically  spend 80 per cent of their time in the classroom and 20 per cent on the job.
• Apprenticeships are for those who wish to learn a specific occupation on the job. These are typically 80 per cent on the job and 20 per cent in the classroom. It is more suited to those who know what occupation they want to pursue, are at the working age of 16 and want to earn a wage while learning at the same time.
• A Levels are for learners who wish to continue academic education.

As an employer you will be working closely with one, or a number of, different further education providers to offer T Level industry placements. We would suggest that employers develop this relationship well in advance of implementing placements, so questions on a topic ranging from placement structure to uniform can be addressed prior to hosting students.

If you are working with multiple providers, bringing them together into one forum, perhaps on a regular basis, can ensure that providers can support each other based on their prior experience and reduce the administrative burden.

For further information on how to develop a strong relationship, NHS Employers have worked with the Association of Colleges and NHS England to develop a guide on making links between health and care and further education.

A typical T Level student will be between 16 – 19.

There is no legal reason for an organisation not to host under eighteen students on placement, with organisations free to decide their own localised policies. We have created some blogs that may be helpful for employers to decide what considerations need to be made for students under the age of eighteen.

In our first blog, we discuss how Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust has successfully supported under-18s in T Level industry placements. A second blog discusses the same issue from the perspective of Yeovil District Hospital NHS Trust. 

We have also developed guidance on recruiting young people under the age of eighteen into the NHS. 

Some employers have developed risk assessments that outline where it might not be appropriate for students under eighteen to be present or be involved in certain tasks, for example, those that might cause them emotional distress. However, this does not mean that a student couldn’t be doing a placement in a certain area, with other tasks being suitable for them to undertake. 

A T Level student should have the same package as any other new member of staff to ensure their safety in the workplace. It is important to speak with the course provider prior to the start of the placement to ensure that students are aware of what will be required, and agreement is reached on funding these requirements.

An employer could choose to offer elements of this package with other new members of staff, for example they could integrate mandatory training with a cohort of healthcare support workers who are new to care. 

To ensure a successful placement for both student and employer, it is recommended that the student is interviewed prior to starting to work out the most suitable area for them to be placed and any future ambitions that can be factored into the placement. As this may be the first time that a student has a formal interview it is recommended that students are offered feedback after their interview.

There is no limit to the number of students that can be on an industry placement if relevant health and safety legislation is observed. However, we would advise employers to consider the support that T Level industry placement students may need, as well as the demands of other students on other types of placements.

To prevent parts of the organisation from having difficulties with the number of students in one area, a few considerations can be made. Employers could rotate students through several different areas, so students are spending a smaller amount of time in one area. However, this should be balanced with ensuring the student has a positive placement experience and chance to integrate with the team. Employers could also discuss with relevant teams internally, and with providers, to ensure students are on placement at a time where other placements are not happening or have limited numbers. Employers could also explore sharing the student industry placements with other organisations in the system, for example students could spend half the time in an acute trust and the other half in a community setting. 

Students undertaking vocational placements as part of a professional qualification are likely to be eligible for a DBS check, if not already organised by the education provider. The employer offering the placement will need to determine the level of check required based on the activities the individual will be required to undertake. We suggest using our DBS eligibility tool to check on the level of DBS required.

Whilst the student is on the industry placement to learn important clinical skills, they can be considered as a member of staff who are able to support their colleagues with appropriate tasks. Managers should be reminded of the value of having further support in their areas and ensure that they have a strong understanding of the tasks the student is able to support with, and those tasks which T Level students are not able to undertake independently. It’s recommended that managers working with T Level students should have prior experience in hosting and mentoring individuals on placements.

A student on placement does not require a contract, but a document that mirrors that of a contract which provides clarity on expectations and is useful to further their understanding of later roles. For students on extended placements, or students who are also undertaking a bank role a form of contract is customary or in some cases obligatory. NHS Employers have developed an honorary contract template which may be useful for employers.

Regardless of whether a decision has been made to provide students with a contract we would recommend that part of the 35 hours of work taster activities involves time to set rules and expectations with students. This could also involve some insight into the tasks they may be doing.  

A T Level student will be asked to complete an employer set project whilst on placement. This project will involve the practical application of skills they have learnt during the placement reinforced by their previous classroom learning. This project will include research elements, written elements, roleplay, discussion and reflection. NCFE provide more information on the employer set project on their website and through a number of videos.

T Level providers are also required to carry out a student work-readiness assessment prior to starting the placement to ensure they are ready for the placement. The education provider is likely to ask for feedback on how the placement is progressing for the student and that they are meeting the relevant professional standards.

Depending on how the placement is organised, it is possible a student may have exams or other assessments during their time on placement. This should not directly interfere with the placement, but employers may wish to be mindful of the extra stress the assessment period could place on the student, and exam dates should be discussed with the college prior to the industry placement starting.

The placement does not encompass any formal study time as all study will take place during the classroom learning part of the T Level, as well as the student’s personal study time.

You will need to agree with providers on the most appropriate placement working pattern, whether this is a block of time, a series of day releases or a combination. The timing of placements should be planned at the right stage(s) of the students’ T Level course. Most placements are likely to take place in the second year of their course when students are familiar with the specialist content of their course and have the required technical skills to make a positive contribution in the workplace.

Students on an industry placement do not need to be paid, though organisations can decide to pay them for their time on placement. Some employers will also place the T Level student on their bank after they are confident in their competence as a source of income for the student. 

T Level industry placements are a free government scheme, you don't need to pay to take on a T Level student for placement. There may be certain business costs, like time invested in planning, training and supervising, and you can choose to pay the student if you wish or pay for their travel.

This should be discussed with the relevant education provider, some organisations have completed this internally to ensure students have the standard of pre-employment assessments prior to joining the placement but then have recouped their costs from the provider.

The ESF will run until the 31 March 2026. At this point there is no indication as to whether the fund will continue in the future, we will update employers accordingly when we know more.  

The Department for Education expects a reasonable maximum spend per student to be around £800. There is no limit on the number of students an employer can host or the number of claims an employer can make, with no maximum total claim limit. All claims must clearly state how many students are supported by each claim

However, employers should be aware that education providers have been allocated a total amount of funding and will be assigning funding based on strategic need and negotiation with employers with a view to long term sustainability. Employers should be aware therefore that the reimbursement per student may be lower than the above suggested spend. 

For employers who are not SMEs, the ESF cannot be used for non-clinical T Levels unless an employer is offering construction T Level industry placements. Should your organisation be offering industry placements in areas like digital, business, or admin these costs will not be eligible for the employer support fund.  

At this point it is unknown is the ESF will continue after this date. It is therefore crucial that employers take advantage of the fund to establish or upscale their T Level industry placement whilst the fund is available given the future uncertainty.  

Yes, in some cases. For example, employers may claim for travel costs if they deliver simulated placement activities at a provider venue. A certain percentage of the industry placement can be remote, but eligibility for ESF funding should be discussed with the provider. 

NHS Employers have developed a T Level hub which brings together guidance and case studies related to T Level industry placements. You can also find further information in the government T Level industry placements guide.