DfE pledges £6.3m for T Level placements in health and construction
T Levels require a compulsory industry placement of at least 315 hours – equivalent to 45 days – over the two-year course
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The government has allocated £6.3m to support employers offering industry placements for students studying T Levels in health and construction.
It comes as the Department for Education (DfE) announced this week that a “targeted” employer support fund will provide financial assistance to both small and large businesses. The fund will help cover the upfront costs of hosting mandatory work placements for T Level learners.
A total of £1.8m has been ringfenced for employers providing placements for construction students. This is part of a wider £600m package for construction training announced in March.
A further £4.5m has been earmarked for placements in the health sector and for small employers across other T Level subjects. The funding will apply to placements starting between 23 April 2025 and 31 March 2026.
T Levels require a compulsory industry placement of at least 315 hours – equivalent to 45 days – over the two-year course.
In updated guidance published this week, the DfE said providers will be allocated funding based on estimated student numbers and anticipated demand for employer support. Colleges will be responsible for ensuring employers’ claims are valid and reasonable.
Arms-length bodies, such as NHS Blood and Transplant, are eligible for the fund, but other public sector organisations are excluded.
There is no cap on the number of claims per employer, though individual placements should not exceed £800. Payments will be made every two months in arrears via a new online claims system, details of which are yet to be published.
The department said the fund is intended to help “as many students as possible” and enable employers to scale up and sustain placements, including through ongoing use of equipment.
In cases where placements end prematurely, providers and employers are expected to resolve any funding issues collaboratively, though the DfE said clawbacks are not automatic.
The employer support fund was previously piloted in 2023/24 but saw limited take-up. Following a review, the DfE confirmed in April that it would reinstate the scheme for 2025/26.
The department has said the funding reflects earlier feedback on the cost of hosting placements, particularly for smaller firms, and should be used where placements “could otherwise not be offered”.
