WILTSHIRE Council has been working with Wiltshire College & University Centre on providing T Level placements for three years and finds it an invaluable way of showcasing its career opportunities.
Apprenticeship and Early Careers Lead Kathryn Partington says the chance for T Level students to spend 315 hours working at the Council, opens their eyes to the possibilities of a wide variety of rewarding careers.
“There is a huge benefit for us as an organisation in getting younger people in,” she says. “People don’t understand how many different job roles there are within a local authority, and I also think there are a lot of preconceived ideas about what working in a council will be like.
“The 315 hours of placement helps, especially when they’re younger, because some of the hardest bits of coming in is relationship building. If you’re in for 5 days work experience, that can be quite hard, but these students have a chance to settle in, build relationships and get a really good understanding of what the council does and the difference it makes to peoples lives.”
The council has 7 T Level business management students working in various departments, and through meeting and working alongside council staff, each of them is understanding how they could build a career there.
“They’re getting a lot of really good work experience, whilst bringing ideas and adding value to us,” says Kathryn. “For example, one student was with our people safety officer completing data entry and data cleansing and others have been doing some of the front desk work supporting our residents.
“I had a T Level student working with my team last year and he got to take minutes of meetings and involved in different activities, such as data cleanse, helping to organise & facilitate events and interviews. Part of my role is to go to career events, so we took him along and involved him in those. Some of the T Level students have also attended events as it’s great for us to take younger people along.” As they can be more relatable and inspirational to school students.
The enthusiasm and positive impact of the students has made them sought after, says Kathryn. “The reason we continue to be involved, and support T Level placements is that we get really positive feedback from managers – and in a busy organisation getting managers to support work experience and placements is not always easy ” she says.
“But this year I’ve already had three managers contact me asking to be added to the list for T Level placements and that speaks volumes.”
Kathryn sees the placements as a chance to inspire students when thinking of where they might pursue their career. “I want to encourage them while they’re here to take advantage and look around at what else is here and understand what a great culture we have for supporting people to grow,” she says.
“T Levels give employers an opportunity to showcase themselves, while giving young people the opportunity to see if they are the right fit for them.
“The T Level placements mean you are getting a high calibre of highly motivated students coming in, and you get the opportunity as an employer to build strong relationships with these young people because they are with you a long time and it really does make a difference.”
Want to explore new career paths?
T Levels give you the chance to spend extended time in the workplace, developing skills and confidence while exploring careers you may not have considered. Discover our full range of T Level courses here.
Could your organisation inspire future talent?
T Level placements aren’t just work experience – they’re a way to bring in new perspectives and shape your future workforce. Through THE BIG Placement Pledge, we’re inviting more organisations to join employers like Wiltshire Council in opening their doors to students. Find out how your business can get involved and make your pledge.
