T Level Information for Employers - Hosting an Industry Placement

The course consists of the Technical Qualification, which is taught at the College and assessed through examinations and coursework/ set projects, and the Industry Placement, in which students gain valuable industry experience where they can practically apply and further develop what they learn in the classroom. The Technical Qualification makes up 80% of the total course, while 20% of the course is spent in the Industry Placement (a minimum of 45 days). This differs from an apprenticeship, which has an 80% work placement, 20% classroom balance.

Accounting T Level

T Level Accounting will always be a useful qualification, whether students use the skills for personal finances, or in a job, helping to make business decisions. This course, equivalent to three A levels, covers the underpinning knowledge, concepts and skills that support threshold competence in the accountancy industry.

It includes a 45-day industry placement and is assessed by two externally-set core examinations and an employer set project.

Read more about the Accounting T Level course

Education and Early Years T Level

This course prepares students to work with children between birth and five years, with knowledge of children up to nineteen years. It’s ideal for anyone wanting a career in early years education.

This is a two-year course equivalent to three A levels. Students will spend 60% of their time in the classroom, learning the skills that employers in the education sector will need, and 40% in relevant industry placements where they will use those skills and gain practical, hands-on experience. They will need to do a minimum of 750 hours of industry placement to gain their Early Years Educator status.

Read more about the Education and Early Years T level course

Management and Administration T Level

T Level Management and Administration gives students the skills they need to work within an administrative or managerial role, as well as providing valuable work experience through placements.

Topics covered include Business Context, People, Quality Compliance, Project, and Change Management. This course includes a compulsory 315-hour (45 day) minimum industry placement.

Read more about the Management and Administration T Level course

Media Broadcast and Production T Level

This T Level course, equivalent to three A levels with a 45-day work placement, is perfect preparation for a career in the media, broadcast and production sector. The two-year course gives students the unique blend of both academic and industry experience, with a work placement giving them real-world skills for future employment.The industry placement, where students will spend the equivalent of 315 hours over the two years working alongside industry professionals is a hands-on part of the course.

Read more about the Media Broadcast and Production T Level course

Why work with Saint Francis Xavier Sixth Form College?

As a sixth form college we are working solely with students between 16-19 years old, offering a high quality of teaching, facilities and academic support, catered specifically for their needs and age group, to help every student reach their full potential.

In 2025, our students achieved:

97% pass rate in Level 3, with 50% achieving high grades

100% pass rate in 18 A level courses

100% pass rate in 9 BTEC/UAL Extended Level 3 Diplomas

100%  pass rate on all Level 1 and 2 courses

Outside of their lessons our students have access to a range of enrichment clubs and groups including sports teams, choirs, debating teams and the opportunity to take part in challenges like Young Enterprise, in order to continue their learning outside of lessons, develop new skills, make new friends and realise their ambitions.
In September 2022 we opened our new purpose-built T Level block, which was designed to maximise the learning time the students spend at College and further prepare them for their industry placements.

Hosting a Student for an Industry Placement

Industry placements give employers a unique opportunity to work alongside the next generation entering their industry, helping students gain the knowledge, experience and practical skills needed and as a result build a pipeline of talent within their industry. 

The benefits of hosting an industry placement include:

• Developing a cost-effective recruitment pipeline of talent for entry-level jobs
• Building the skills and capacity of your business
• Extra resources for day-to-day projects, bringing in imaginative, new ideas
• Giving your existing staff the opportunity to upskill in coaching and mentoring young people
• Helping develop a more diverse and creative workforce
• An opportunity to provide a positive experience for a young person

Learn more about the benefits of offering an industry placement here.

What will my responsibilities be as an employer hosting an industry placement?

The placement you provide will need to be meaningful and relevant to the Management and Administration course. You will work collaboratively with us to develop an industry placement objectives template which will include a set of stretching learning goals, the agreed working pattern and the key activities and responsibilities students will undertake during their placement.

At the beginning of the placement, the student will need to attend an induction with you to cover all health and safety aspects of the workplace. You will need to assign a line or task manager to the student who can provide constructive direction and feedback throughout their placement. It is also recommended that the student is also assigned a workplace mentor who can provide informal peer support.  You are under no obligation to pay the student(s), but can do so if you wish to.

Students will be provided with an industry placement logbook to complete during their hours with you (see example logbook). The logbooks include timesheets to track their hours with you. Providers will need to conduct a minimum of three review meetings with the student(s) during their placement to check their welfare and monitor their progress towards their learning goals.

For more information on the roles and responsibilities of an employer, please see the T Level Industry Placements Employer Guide.

How we will support you

As an employer you will receive support at each stage of your industry placement journey – from selecting the right student through to managing their contribution to your business, and maybe even hiring a new employee. Before the placement we will support you in the student selection process, holding placement interviews which you are welcome to be involved in as much or as little as you would like. We will support you with the paperwork involved in the set-up of the placement to minimalize the administrative workload as much as possible. We will provide you with a contact who will be available throughout the placement to receive any feedback from you or to whom you can report any issues.

Who will the student be?

Our entry requirements for this course state that all students will need to have achieved a minimum of 5 GCSEs at Grade 4 (Grade 4 is equivalent to a C) or above including at least a Grade 5 in English Language and Maths (Grade 5 is equivalent to a high C/low B). The students applying for this course will have a keen interest in Management and Administration, and we have already seen through our applications that many of those applying to this course are doing so specifically because they are keen to develop their skills and knowledge through the industry placement. Students will be required to attend an interview as part of the selection process for the industry placement, and you are welcome to be involved in the interview and selection process as much as you would like to. Prior to beginning the placement, students will sign an Industry Placement Agreement.

What if I am unable to offer the full 45 days (315 hours)?

If you are not able to host a student for the full length of time on the industry placement, it can be arranged for the student to split the allocated 45 days across two employers, where this is considered necessary for ‘breadth of content’ and/or is beneficial for students. You can discuss this with our industry placement coordinator. More information about ‘sharing’ a placement with another employer can be found here.

To speak to us about providing an industry placement for a student, or for more information, please contact our Industry Placement Coordinator at n.green@sfx.ac.uk.