Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 15
15
T levels combine classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during a work placement of around 45...
Conclusion
T levels combine classroom learning and ‘on-the-job’ experience during a work placement of around 45 days (20% of the overall time) over the two-year course.26 Committee Members have heard from college principals about difficulties in recruiting students, largely because of the challenge of securing enough work placements, and 17 Q 84 18 C&AG’s Report, para 11 and Figure 8 19 Q 69; C&AG’s Report, para 2.20 20 Sixth Form Colleges Association, Sixth Form Colleges: 2020 Key Facts and Figures, June 2020 21 Q 70; ESFA, College accounts academic year 2018 to 2019, June 2020 22 Q 69 23 Department for Education, Introduction of T Levels, September 2020 24 Q 73; Department for Education, T Levels: ministerial direction, May 2018 25 Qq 60–61; Department for Education, Introduction of T Levels, September 2020 26 Department for Education, Introduction of T Levels, September 2020; https://www.tlevels.gov.uk/students/ about Managing colleges’ financial sustainability 11 their consequent fears about colleges losing income. This situation had been exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic as it was difficult for students to undertake physical work placements and the ESFA would not accept virtual work placements.27
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
4: PAC conclusion: Successful implementation of the new T-level qualifications risks being delayed by a lack of work placements. 4: PAC recommendation: The Department should write to the Committee before the start of the next academic year setting out what up-to-date assurance it has that there will be enough work placements for T levels. This should cover what impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the availability of placements and plans to incorporate virtual placements. 4.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: July 2021 4.2 It is crucial that industry placements are high-quality to ensure that students have a successful T Level experience. 4.3 The department is monitoring the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the delivery of industry placements. The first cohort of T Levels is relatively small, with approximately 1,300 students. The department has introduced some temporary flexibilities to placements to support their delivery, which includes reducing the number of minimum placement hours required for students on the Early Years Educator Occupational Specialism. The department has invested over £165 million since the 2018-19 academic year to help providers build capacity to deliver placements and is providing dedicated support to providers to help them source placements. The department has also implemented a package of support for employers, where they can access advice, workshops and webinars, and is running a pilot to test what financial support employers need to deliver placements. The department will continue to work closely with providers and employers to ensure it understands the delivery challenges and how to overcome them. 4.4 The department will write to the Committee in July 2021 to set out what assurances it has that there will be enough industry placements for T Levels; what impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the availability of placements; and what further support the department will put in place to ensure there are enough high-quality placements available for students.