Around 60 per cent of employers have not heard of T-Levels and are unaware of the work experience requirements.
T-Levels will be introduced in 2020 and will be on a par with A levels. They will provide young people with a choice between technical and academic education post age 16. These technical qualifications will be taught in colleges but will also require a set amount of work experience to complete the course.
Research from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), found that 60 per cent of the 2,000 employers it surveyed have not heard of the new qualifications. In addition, the programme requires students to obtain a minimum work experience placement of 45 days, but only a quarter of employers surveyed have said this would be feasible.
More than one-third of employers reported that they have not provided any form of work experience placements within the last 12 months. For those that do offer placements, 62 per cent typically lasted for less than 15 days. Just 22 per cent of businesses thought they would be able to offer the required 45 day placement, but would need a financial incentive to do so.
Lizzie Crowley, Skills Adviser at the CIPD, commented: “These findings shine a light on the potentially fatal mismatch between the amount of work experience T-Level students will need to complete their qualification, and what UK employers currently feel able to offer.
“We, and many employers, welcome the reforms to the skills system, and the positive impact that T-Level students can bring to workforces around the country. However, for the majority of organisations, particularly SMEs, the requirement to provide 45 days of work experience per T-level student is unrealistic and could prove to be a significant problem.”
She added that government intervention would be key to provide employers with more information and guidance about how to include T-Level students effectively into the workforce.
It also needs to “seriously rethink the work experience requirement or jeopardise the success of these key reforms for improving technical education and skills in the UK,” added Crowley.
Despite concerns around the work experience requirement, employers were broadly supportive of the new qualifications. Almost half thought it would make a positive difference to young people’s employability and 41 per cent said they would value the breadth of skills and understanding that they would bring to the labour market.
