Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week - Supporting the Next Generation Through T Levels

Over two years, students combine classroom-based learning with real-world experience, gaining both the knowledge and practical skills employers are looking for.

What are T Levels?

T Levels are a UK technical qualification offering a high-quality blend of academic study and hands-on experience. They aim to bridge the gap between education and employment by giving learners a strong foundation in their chosen subject, supported by meaningful exposure to the workplace.

Students choose T Levels as an alternative to A Levels or an apprenticeship—ideal for those who want a structured mix of learning and real-life application.

What does a T Level include?

80% Classroom Learning
Learners spend most of their time gaining the theoretical knowledge and technical understanding they need for their chosen industry.

20% Industry Placement
The remaining time is spent in the workplace, applying skills in real situations and developing professional confidence.

315-Hour Industry Placement
Every T Level includes a minimum 45‑day (315‑hour) placement, giving students meaningful experience and insight into day-to-day working life.

About the Industry Placement

Placement length can vary depending on the employer’s structure, but typically spans up to two years alongside the course.

At our Bretby site, we usually complete the placement within one year. This allows students to gain their practical experience early, giving them more time to prepare for examinations in their second year.

Students are responsible for logging and evidencing their hours to pass the qualification. While on placement, they’re encouraged to get involved in tasks relevant to their course, build core employability skills, and understand what it means to work in a professional environment.

Here what some of our T-Level Students had to say about their experience: 

When I started my college course I was really unsure about what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, I was lucky enough that my college course allowed speakers to come into the college and do talks about their business and in my first year - and of course we needed to get work experience to complete my course. What SOCOTEC did and what it stood for as a company was something I admired, especially in the climate we are in now. So I chose to go to SOCOTEC for my work experience - Other than having to take the bus and being late every morning I think I made a good impression on the teams I was in I worked and worked and made sure I got my work done not only on time but early by several hours; I have always been eager to learn and with my first year of work experience I was in three different departments: Marketing, Finance and Recruitment. Some I enjoyed more than others (Sorry finance) and others I stuck with and saw a real calling too. So when the second year rolled around, I had to go and do work experience again I wanted to go back to SOCOTEC, I was told by my teachers that is rare for students to be able to go for work experience at the same company they did for the first year. However, I didn't let that stop me, so I got in contact with recruitment, not via email, not via phone call... but a LinkedIn message to the head of recruitment. Not my finest moment but hey it got their attention; I was then redirected to Jess Holbrook who I can thank today for the position I'm in. 

For my second year I wanted to go back into marketing, I have always been a creative person and being able to harness that in a way for a company like this is something I wanted to do. Luckily, I made a good impression as at the end of my week's work experience, I was given a letter with recruitments email on, basically like a golden ticket for Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. With how rough the employment ladder is nowadays, I was beyond happy I had an opportunity like this. Now I already finished college a month in advance at this point, but I had to wait before we could get signed off so I chose to contact recruitment asking if they had any apprenticeships for me. I was lucky enough that a couple weeks later I got a call from an unknown number, it was none other than Jess Holbrook who informed me that Marketing was looking for a new apprenticeship and a marketing assistant so they merged the two roles together and called me to see if I was interested (of course I was) and that's where our story ends, I took the apprenticeship, started part time, and here I am now full time. I am so grateful for SOCOTEC introducing me into the world of work and I'm so glad I worked as hard as I did during my work experience as it’s an opportunity that should never be turned down.

My time at SOCOTEC has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my educational career. Doing a T-level placement, you are placed headfirst into a real-life, business/work setting with an environment you have never learned to navigate before, but regardless of how unfamiliar I was with the do’s and don’ts, my leaders – Aimee and Jess - made sure I had a stable support system to help me through. From the moment I took my first day, I had already learned much more than I could have imagined, and by month 6, you can bet… my skill progression was exceptional. Given the choice of which departments I wanted to work in and having a full, hands-on tour of what a company like this does behind the scenes took my textbook knowledge and turned it into an applicable and relatable source of information that will forever help me in my career. Personally, I found I had an eye for learning and development, and since then I have been working alongside the most understanding and positive team that have coached me non-stop from the get-go, to make sure I get the most out of my time here as possible. You can’t learn everything in 315 hours, but here of some of the things that have stuck out most to me, as a 17 year old business management and administration student:

• Your own drive and determination represents the results you achieve: I found that showing a passion and high spirit for completing work and wanting to learn not only looks good, but it also pushes you much further ahead than it may seem. I did my first online training course at the beginning of my placement, and now by the end I am turning over 1-2 courses per week. All I did was ask for more, and now I can confidently say that I am capable of all of those skills needed to be able to create online learning resources like this.
• Its not as scary as you think: Interpersonal and communication skills are the most vital tool you can have in your book of spells in an environment like this. Being a teenager, there isn’t much common ground between me and the others here, and that can be extremely nerve-wrecking for someone who has never had the opportunity to talk and collaborate with people much further ahead in their career. I think my leaders can vouch for me when I say that throughout this placement, I have progressed greatly with how I talk to others and my confidence in holding a conversation, asking for help and communicating my needs.
• My overall digital skills: Canva, word, presentations, spreadsheets… you name it and I’ve learned it. I did grow up with technology and access to the internet all around me, however there are some things you didn’t even know were an option until you throw yourself into a whole new world of finance, marketing or L&D. If you asked me to make pivot charts in Excell 6 months ago, I would have stared at you blankly. That really goes to show that every day, you learn some of the most useful things without realising it, and that is the magic of a technical placement.

Now just for a moment I would like to touch on my own personal experience with facing my fears and overcoming hurdles I didn’t even expect to see the top of for another 5 years. Public speaking and the way I’m viewed has brought me anxiety for as long as I can remember. During a year 10 speech for my English class, I was so nervous I was shaking, fast-forward a couple years into my course and placement here I was asked to do a halfway review on my time so far, and I was as confident as ever – I couldn’t even recognise myself. I talked about things I had found difficult, moments of struggle and some personal details that I am working through and learning more about every day. I never knew that I could be so outgoing until that moment, and that’s when it clicked, the most important lesson of all – I am just as important as everyone else here, and just because I’m a student and I don’t have a degree or a paying full-time job, doesn’t make me less than anyone else. That was a feeling that without SOCOTEC and the people by my side, I could have never found so soon. I am so thankful for the endlessly valuable teachings of my placement here, and my newfound skills that will stay with me for life. I can’t wait to see what else I will achieve, and how ambitious I will get by the end of my time here.

Here's just some of the training courses I have been involved in:

• Building Pathology courses: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 (in progress). The first 4 are done with first reviews. 1 is published!
• Training: Safeguarding, Digital communication, Performance review and AI Awareness.
• Mental health courses: Anxiety management, ADHD, Fear of saying ‘no’. All completed, on final checks before publishing.
• Fire Courses: Fire warden training and Fire safety. All checks completed and has been handed over.