Video transcript - The T Level Transition Programme at Grimsby Institute

Marc Johnson, Curriculum Manager Digital

Employers were at the forefront of the Transition and T Level Programmes. So before our curriculum managers even design that programme, they need to speak with employers first, what the LMI is within the area and how we can get learners to different employment opportunities. So as curriculum managers, we've had to have meetings with different employees within the area, would they take on placements is this is not the right fit for a learner looking to get in the industry. Is it meeting the skills, knowledges and behaviours that would be needed for that specific industry.

At that point the employer would then have further conversations as the planning process would go on. Is this still the right approach? Is there anything you would change and then it's about how we get learners to there. So initial meeting with learners an employers, interviews, webinars etc.

Zoe Adams, Curriculum Manager – Health and Science

I've designed the level 2 transition programme around me in the employers needs local in our area so employer feedback that they would like learners to have some knowledge and understanding of end of life care. So we've incorporated and accredited qualification where the learners can achieve a level 2 award in end of life care.

Employers also told us that strokes was on the increase within the area, so again, we've embedded an accredited qualification where the learners can gain a Level 2 award in in stroke awareness. We've actually decided to opt for an accredited level 2 Health and social care qualification so learners can come out with three, really good qualifications at the end of it, and that's all been designed again by the optional units administered by local employers needs so, for example, mental health and in particular with COVID. So that's one of the units that we decided to choose and creative activities as well and again, that would say the learners could help with their own mental health and resilience, but also help with mental health and resilience in the community when they are on placement.

We have a designated team and who work closely employers across multiple of programmes. So that teams that work with employers also use the university building and the university classes as well. So they've published strong connections with the NHS, local care homes, schools, day care centres and our learners go there so we build up the relationships as well and then we continually get feedback on what is it that we could offer, so some feedback before was that they wanted our learners to know more about learning difficulties so we then was able to incorporate an element of learning difficulties into the communication unit and then so learners were able to communicate more effectively and build them relationships.

Marc Johnson, Curriculum Manager Digital

Integrating our T Level and Transition Programme learners has been very important. The focus for my department is I love learner led learning and so we get T level learners who are in year one to create sessions for the Transition learners and they lead the Transition, learns on what their expectations should be when moving up the T level or employment or any course that matter and so learner led for T Level to Transition is very important.

But also the integration when they go out into employment mixing Transition learners with T level learners as well. Within our Transition Programmes, we expect our Transition learners to complete 100 hours work placement to complete the course and that would be the equivalent of a first year T Level Learner completing their first year, they are required to do 115 hours, so it's given them sense of what it's going to be like to be a first year T Level learner working with the employers, but we also mix the T Level learners and Transition learners together on the employment. So not only Transition learners get in the Employment Opportunity, they're also working with the T Level learners as well and what their expectations are.

Jackie Gut, Lecturer

The Transition learners come in to Level 3 with already a really good foundation. They're prepared better for their exams because they've already been using the right language. They've already been looking at the Early Years Foundation stage and the statutory framework that prepares them really for the exams that they will be sitting in that first year of their Level 3 T Level course.

Marc Johnson, Curriculum Manager Digital

In terms of the Transition, learners that come on to T Level were predicting that they're performing at the correct level for a T Level learner and sometimes it has outperformed some of our T Level learners as a whole just based on the experience that they got on the Transition Programme.

Jackie Gut, Lecturer

I actually think because we still teach a licence to practise, they get a very rounded course. It's sort of really prepares them for the workplace at level 2. That then means that they've got good foundation blocks for going onto the level 3 T level. They know all the policies have, such as they know the legislation that exists. We touch on theory. We look at a few theorists, but it prepares them. They've got a really good base knowledge to then build on for those Level 3 units.

Marc Johnson, Curriculum Manager Digital

Join as many networking opportunities as you can as part of the DfE or the AOC, they've been really beneficial in giving out information to look at employers locally and nationally and but also expand the social media presence as well. So things like LinkedIn, Instagram. LinkedIn is more beneficial due to the industry nature, but definitely broaden their social media horizons.

Zoe Adams, Curriculum Manager – Health and Science

The best advice I could give anybody who will be doing level 2 Transitional for health and social care or health related is to make it practical as you possibly can and incorporate as much scenario based learning as she can to help build the learners confidence and resilience and just put that knowledge into practice, so they are building the knowledge, thy are building skills and then that will instil the standards and the behaviours required to be a professional, so make it as practical as you can.