Employer Opportunities

A unique opportunity to influence how the future workforce will be trained and ensuring learners have the most up-to-date industry knowledge.

Industry Insights are work placements and work shadowing opportunities for staff delivering T Levels.

Keep up to date with the latest information by filling out our short expression of interest form.

T Levels are new qualifications, launched in September, which prepare learners for entry into skilled employment, or higher-level technical study or education. The courses have been developed in collaboration with employers and businesses so that the content meets the needs of industry and prepares learners for work.

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) is the expert body for professional development and standards in Further Education (FE) and Training in England. We have been commissioned by the Department for Education (DfE) to develop and deliver the T Level Professional Development (TLPD) offer.

 

There are six elements of professional development support:

The high quality TLPD offer is shaped around the needs of the education workforce (leaders, managers, teachers, trainers and support staff) alongside relevant regional, employer and curriculum requirements.

Industry Insights form part of the TLPD offer and allow staff involved in the delivery of T Levels to gain valuable experience and understanding of the subject they will be teaching by undertaking placements and virtual activities within a relevant industry. This means that learners undertaking T Levels are taught by staff with the most up-to-date knowledge from future employers.

What are the benefits for you as an employer?

Investing in your future workforce

  • The placements and virtual activities will enable participants to identify first-hand what skills, competencies and knowledge you require of T Level learners when recruiting.
  • Help to address the skills gap of the future workforce.
  • It will help you develop relationships with FE providers who are training your future workforce. This is an important link to ensure the latest industry practice is embedded into learners’ learning activities.

Extending your reach and impact

  • An opportunity to facilitate wider understanding and appreciation of your industry. It will improve relations with local providers and stakeholders – enhancing your reputation and increasing business growth.
  • You will be a voice of influence in education.

What activity could I be involved in?

The activities have been designed to be as flexible as possible so it can adapt to your needs, timescales and preferences.

Placements

  • One day work shadowing – a member of staff from a FE provider will visit your workplace, observe industry colleagues in their day-to-day roles, engaging with your staff as industry experts.
  • Two-to-five-day work placement – an interactive opportunity which includes practical experience, observation and interaction. Participants will be encouraged to undertake tasks and activities as agreed with you, the employer.
  • Virtual placement – a flexible alternative to physical placements that can be tailored to suit your timescales. It will include agreed activities and online interactions.

Industry mentoring

As an industry expert, this is an opportunity for you to mentor a member of staff from the FE sector. Working on a one-to-one basis, you would help them understand your industry, plus current industry practice and challenges. Staff would share their mentoring aims and objectives with you and be responsible for shaping the areas of discussion at each mentoring session you have with them. There will be eight hours of direct contact, conducted virtually, spread over an agreed period, up to a maximum of eight months.

Group Industry Collaboration

An opportunity to offer four in-depth sessions to a small group of FE staff, outlining different aspects of your business/industry, including the key skills, knowledge and behaviours you need from the pipeline of young people entering your industry. It’s also a chance to set them a small project or challenge, one that you might face regularly, to help them better understand current industry practices. We will support you through structuring the sessions and setting the project or challenge.

Interested in providing an online workshop?

Employer-led industry workshops are an opportunity for you to engage and make links with FE staff, providing them with updates about your area of industry.

These are one to two hour virtual events which could be a demonstration, a talk through an approach or system your industry adopts, a Q&A session, or something you feel is relevant for FE staff to be aware of. We can support you in shaping the content and focus for the audience.

Why is Industry Insights important for FE providers?

  • Industry Insights provides FE staff with the most up-to-date industry knowledge, which they can takeback to the classroom and ensure learners have the most relevant information available to them.
  • Employer-provider relationships have the potential to become long-term, with exchange of knowledge between organisations key to developing the future skills pipeline.

Where can I find more information?

If you would like to discuss anything in more detail please email our Employer Engagement team: industryinsights@etfoundation.co.uk