Temporary flexibilities for Wave 1 and 2 T Level industry placements

In light of the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we introduced some temporary flexibilities for Wave 1 and Wave 2 T Level students in November to help these students complete the industry placement requirement.

These flexibilities will be withdrawn in July 2023. You must still plan to deliver placements against the core principles set out in the industry placement delivery guidance. We expect that these flexibilities should be used by exception and as a last resort. You can find out more about these temporary flexibilities on the T Level industry placement delivery guidance on GOV.UK

Blended placements

This flexibility applies to 2020 and 2021 T Level students taking T Levels in the Digital, Construction and Health and Science routes.

Wave 1 students

• up to 40% of the placement hours can be undertaken remotely
• 60% of time must be in the workplace

Wave 2 students

• up to 25% of the placement hours can be undertaken remotely
• 75% of time must be in the workplace

Remote hours can either take place at the provider setting, or in an employer training centre which simulates the working environment and is supervised by the employer. Students should not work from their home setting.

Pathway-level placements

This flexibility is for 2021 Health, Healthcare Science and Science T Level students.

Where possible, you should aim for a significant proportion of the placement content to be relevant to the students’ occupational specialism. The placement objectives could also cover the core and pathway level components, that support their learning and to ensure the student is prepared for their occupational specialism assessments.

The placement content could also offer the student the opportunity to apply core technical skills that could apply across different settings across a broad range of specialisms, such as person-centred care, infection control, safeguarding and managing personal information.

You should identify other relevant and useful activities and learning the students can do/be provided with during their learning to ensure they are able to develop the relevant technical knowledge, skills, and behaviours to their occupational specialism. 

We have now published further guidance on delivering pathway level placements on Gov.uk, that provides advice on how to ensure the student gets the best outcome and provides practical placement examples within different placement settings.

Reduction in minimum placement hours for students on the Early Years Educator Occupational Specialism

This flexibility has been extended to students who started on the Early Years Educator Occupational Specialism in September 2021.

In exceptional circumstances where providers are unable to secure placements of 750 hours for T Level students who started on the Early Years Educator Occupational Specialism in September 2020, we have reduced the minimum placement hours to 415 hours.

You must:

• ensure students have met all the learning outcomes of the T Level qualification (and so the Early Years Educator Criteria) to achieve their full T level certificate
• ensure students complete a minimum of 415 placement hours, of which 100 must be guided learning hours on placement
• ensure students can demonstrate competence against all of the learning outcomes of the T Level qualification (and so the Early Years Educator Criteria)
• ensure students are assessed using appropriate methods for practical competence
• identify other relevant and useful activities and learning for the student if they are unable to complete 750 placement hours which will support their development of the relevant technical knowledge, skills, and behaviours

Joint Awarding Body Quality Group (JABQG) Risk Rated Approach to assessment

This flexibility applies to Wave 1 and Wave 2 students on the Early Years Educator Occupational Specialism, within the Education and Early Years T Level

As a result of COVID-19, it has been more difficult for students and assessors to access early years workplace settings on placement. In response, the JABQG has produced the Risk Rated Approach Guidance to assessing DfE’s Early Years Educator (EYE) criteria. The guidance risk rates the EYE criteria and identifies which elements of the criteria can be assessed through methods other than direct workplace observation.

Find out more about these temporary flexibilities on the T Level industry placement delivery guidance on GOV.UK