NAW: Celebrating T-Level Thursday

Posted by Devon Partnership Trust in News on 8th February, 2024

T Level Thursday logoIn 2021, we partnered with Exeter College to embrace a new approach to learning. By introducing T-Level students, we engage with a new pipeline of talent, bringing in fresh ideas and perspectives, and providing opportunities to grow a more diverse workforce. 

T-Levels is a 45-day in-depth industry placement that is equivalent in size to to three A levels. Students spend 80% of the course in their learning environment, gaining the skills that employers need. The other 20% is a meaningful industry placement, where they put these skills into action.

What are T Levels

The first students who completed their T-Level course are now embarking on their careers. Many have secured full-time positions with their placement employers and are enrolled on apprenticeships, including degree apprenticeships. Others have successfully applied for jobs in the same industry as their T-Level course.

These students have expressed that their placement experiences played a crucial role in shaping their career decisions. Being immersed in a real working environment with a host employer equipped them with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for a strong career start. Read about Lily's experience with New Leaf and why she decided to return to the service.

By hosting industry placements, we gain access to a pool of bright, ambitious, hard-working young people. As an organisation, we benefit from valuable insights gained during their placements, allowing managers to identify the skills they bring to the team and how quickly they learn.

Pauline Champion, Early Career and Volunteer Co-ordinator, said: "Organising of the industry placements has come with its challenges, this is for many reasons including capacity, transport and the competing demands on our services.

"When I am out visiting the students on placement and I get to see each one participating in a variety of activities, including ward round and in house teaching sessions, it is so rewarding. To see the students gain confidence, employability skills and really integrate within the workplace makes it all worthwhile."

So far, in partnership with Exeter College and Petroc College, we have hosted 41 students studying T-Level in Health. These placements have varied from one day to the full 45 days.

This would not have been possible without the support of colleagues across the organisation.

The first cohort of Business Administrator and Management students have now completed their placements. Becky shares her experience: "I chose the business and management T-level course as I liked the idea of being able to stay within a college timetable and learn useful knowledge on how businesses should be run and how I can adapt my ways of working to best suit businesses. While also going an insight into a well-known business and see how they operate and the day-to-day practices they do. This to me sounded like I would be able to learn more in-depth knowledge about the business side of how organisations run rather than just working for them."

You can download Becky's T-Level Thursday poster to read about her full experience.

Abbie Harris, Clinical Practice Lead for Belvedere Ward, shared her recent experience working alongside a T-Level student: "Our most recent T-Level student was amazing! The team were full of praise for her – they told me how proactive she was, and very happy to get involved. The team are already looking forward to having her back later this year."

We are now getting ready to welcome four new students from Exeter College who will be placed in Practice Education, Training Team, Recruitment and Corporate Governance.

If you would like to find out more about hosting a T-Level student, please email the Careers Hub on dpt.careershub@nhs.net 

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