Work placements are the most critical element of a T Level qualification, but employers are put off from offering them by health and safety concerns, time pressures, bureaucratic hurdles and cost fears.
While the mandatory 45-day or 315-hour industry placement is regarded as the main reason why students should sign up for T Levels, colleges are now struggling to persuade enough employers to provide them.
Just over 1,000 students from the first wave of T Levels got their results in August last year. Of those, only 6 per cent did not complete the work placement, although there was some flexibility in place to reflect the impact of Covid 19 on businesses.
So, with eight more T Levels being rolled out by 2025 and learner volumes set to rise significantly, it is unclear whether enough placements will be available to meet the increased demand.
