WHY MORE EMPLOYERS NEED TO GET ON BOARD WITH T LEVELS | Hilary Leevers

Podcast Radio Business Interviews

Hilary Leevers, EngineeringUK CEO, talks to Clayton M. Coke of Podcast Radio Business to discuss the importance of T Levels to students and employers, in addition to explaining how the engineering industry can offer rewarding careers for young people.

With a chronic shortage of skilled engineers and technicians to power UK industry, a new report, Anyone for T? Awareness of T Levels in England, published during Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (7-11 November 2022), shines a spotlight on awareness of T Levels as a key pathway into engineering and manufacturing careers for students looking to get workplace knowledge while learning.

Hilary Leevers,EngineeringUK CEO, believes T Levels (two-year courses, equivalent in size to three A-Levels, with a combination of classroom-based learning and an in-depth industry placement of at least 45 days) provide an important route into engineering for young people, however 63% of young people do not know what they are - with only 30% of those aged 11 to 14 (Key Stage 3), 35% of 14- to 16-year-olds (Key Stage 4) and 16 to 18 year olds (Key Stage 5) respectively aware of them - although 49% of 11-18 year-olds in London know what T levels are.

Hilary Leevers can explain the importance of T Levels to students and employers in addition to explaining how the engineering industry can offer rewarding careers for young people as the report highlights that the engineering and manufacturing T Level route will require as many as 43,500 placements to be provided by employers in the sector by 2024/25, meaning employers need to take action especially as only 28% of employers have both heard of them and understand what they involve, with awareness lower among SMEs which is where the large proportion of engineering and technology jobs are held.