Report highlights the challenges of increased work experience in T-Levels
07 July 2017
A new report has called for increased investment in post-16 education to cope with the increased demands for work experience in T-Levels.
The call for evidence from the Learning and Work Institute, looked at how the Government’s plan for every 16-18 year old college-based student to be entitled to work experience for 1 to 3 months, might be successfully implemented. Particular focus was given to the challenges of upscaling current practices.
Findings from the report include:
- Further investment will be required for FE providers who already commit considerable resource to the management of work placements
- Current work experience opportunities are nowhere near the scale proposed in the Skills Plan
- Some industries and employers are harder than others for FE providers to engage with
- Rural locations face additional challenges
- Employers may experience fatigue as a result of the number of requests they receive from T-Level students and apprentices
- Learner readiness for the workplace is a common challenge for FE providers; employability skills for young people are important
- Good quality information, advice and guidance is essential at an early stage
- National standards and guidance will be required to ensure consistency for both employers and FE providers.
The report concluded that the profile of technical education will need to be raised at a national level, with the engagement of employers key to the Government’s reforms for technical education.