A pilot of over 200 industry placements has been successfully completed as employers come forward to support the delivery of new T Level qualifications in Cornwall.
Ofsted Outstanding Truro and Penwith College is the only provider in Cornwall to have been selected by the Department for Education to deliver T levels from September 2020.
With the pilot complete, Cornwall Council and Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) are the latest to have come forward, offering more than 50 work placements for students starting their qualifications in September.
The placements have been offered across the College’s three subject areas: Digital Production, Design & Development, Childcare & Education and Construction: Design, Surveying & Planning.
Nikki Pryke, Apprenticeship Lead at RCHT commented: “We have established a T Level strategy to support young students in accessing county-wide opportunities across both RCHT and Cornwall Council.
“Our T Level placements will provide the knowledge and experience needed to open doors for young people into highly skilled employment, an Apprenticeship, or university-level study”
Other top employers to have made places available include: Avanti Communications, Naturally Learning Nurseries, Vistry Partnerships, Kings Service Centre, Midas Construction, Acorn Blue, CORMAC, Fox Engineering, Element Engineering and a number of schools.
As part of the course T Level students will spend 80 percent of their time in the classroom and 20 percent on a work experience placement (approximately 45-days) to equip them with the knowledge and skills employers are looking for.
Students will need to apply for their preferred work experience placements with support from the College. Employers will award their places through a typical recruitment and selection process, providing students with more valuable experience.
A Charlotte Olver, divisional development and communities manager at Vistery Partnerships commented: “T Levels promote the variety of careers available within construction and break down stereotypes of the onsite world and we can set aside time and space to help students grow while also getting them working in an industry they’re interested in.
“Our partnership with Truro and Penwith College provides the perfect platform to address the industry skills shortage and encourage students to enter the industry”.
A spokesperson from Naturally Learning said: “Naturally Learning is a place where children grow and we are excited to be working in partnership with Truro and Penwith College to support T-Level Childcare and Education students to become the next generation of dedicated practitioners, supporting them to grow and develop”.
The two-year T Level qualifications offer an exciting new direction for students post GCSEs, they are recognised by all Universities and will give students the same UCAS points as three A Levels.
Julian Roberts, employability lead at Truro and Penwith College commented: “We are absolutely thrilled at the response from employers across Cornwall coming forward to offer placements in support of our T Level programmes.
“The introduction of T Levels is an exciting time for the College and learners taking their next steps towards quality careers, and it’s a huge boost to see that the high standards of facilities and teaching students will experience in College is being backed-up by the high standards of employers offering these placements”.
The College is still accepting applications for September 20 with help and advice available over the phone during the UK’s social distancing measures. For more information contact 01872 267000, [email protected] or visit www.truro-penwith.ac.uk.