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Work Placements for Full-time Students

Our students will be your workforce of the future!

It is important that our students learn first-hand the operations of businesses within their chosen sector. We understand the value of employer contribution and the positive impact you have on young people. Our students will be your workforce of the future! We are looking for companies willing to provide real opportunities.

There are 2 options for you to engage with supporting work placements, but if you are able to offer both we would be very thankful.

Option 1

Students to complete a weeklong block placement in the industry in which they are studying. This can be on employer premises, a virtual placement or a blended approach.

Option 2

Longer term Industry Placements, supporting our T-Level qualifications pilot.

Wakefield College will be offering T-Levels from 2021 and so this year are also offering our students an industry placement (a placement of 315 hours) if you’d like to know more about this there is a website specific to employers https://employerindustryplacements.co.uk with details of workshops etc for more information.

We also are asking employers to offer virtual work placements and work experience as an option allowing more and more business sectors to support our learners through the increased access via online platforms.

The Department for Education and SDN are hosting webinars for employers looking at what industry placements look like. In the webinars, you’ll have chance to hear from employers who are already hosting placements in these roles, how industry placement students might contribute to your workforce development in the current circumstances, and the support now available. These sessions are free of charge. You can find out more and register https://employerindustryplacements.co.uk/workshops-and-webinars/.

We invite you to join us setting up a framework for the placements with individual employer input, which looks something like this and welcome anything from the list below you may be able to support:

  • A virtual meeting to get to know the student and vice versa
  • An induction to the company, as if they were on the premises
  • An introduction to a project that can be individual or for a group
  • Guest speakers from different job roles within the company
  • A virtual site tour
  • Students presenting back their final project
  • Feedback from the employer

Call us for more details 01924 789 413 or email Tony Jackson Work Placement Coordinator, workplacements@heartofyorkshire.ac.uk.

Kickstart Scheme

The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to employers to create job placements for 16 to 24 year olds.

How does the Kickstart Scheme work

The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to employers to create new 6-month job placements for young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.

This is part of the government’s Plan for Jobs and aims to create hundreds and thousands of new, fully funded jobs across England, Scotland and Wales. The first placements are likely to be available from November.

Funding will cover for each job placement:

  • 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week
  • the associated employer National Insurance contributions
  • employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions

If you are applying on behalf of a group of employers, you can get £300 of funding for each job placement to support with the associated administrative costs of bringing together these employers.

How to get the funding

Funding is available following a successful application process. Applications must be for a minimum of 30 job placements. If you are unable to offer this many job placements, you can find someone to apply on behalf of a group of employers to reach the minimum number.

Who can apply for funding

Any organisation, regardless of size, can apply for funding.

The job placements created with Kickstart funding must be new jobs. They must not:

  • replace existing or planned vacancies
  • cause existing employees or contractors to lose or reduce their employment

The roles you are applying for must be:

  • a minimum of 25 hours per week, for 6 months
  • paid at least the National Minimum Wage for their age group
  • should not require people to undertake extensive training before they begin the job placement

Each application should include how you will help the participants to develop their skills and experience, including:

  • support to look for long-term work, including career advice and setting goals
  • support with CV and interview preparations
  • supporting the participant with basic skills, such as attendance, timekeeping and teamwork

Once a job placement is created, it can be taken up by a second person once the first successful applicant has completed their 6-month term.

T-Levels Work Placement Questions Answered

T-Levels give young people the skills and knowledge they need to get a head start towards their future career and support organisations like yours.

Industry placements are already helping employers and their businesses go further.

A student is invited to work with you for around 45 days, developing skills and building confidence. Placement times can be arranged to fit in with your needs.

  • Help nurture and develop talent
  • Cost effective recruitment for entry level jobs and apprenticeships
  • Bring in people with imaginative new ideas and different skills
  • Upskill your staff with the chance to mentor a young person
  • Extra resource for specific projects
  • Increase capacity

Apprenticeships are jobs with training, for young people who are ready to work. An apprentice spends 80% of their time in paid employment and 20% learning in the classroom.

T-Levels are for young people who want to continue studying and gain work experience with a real employer on a worthwhile industry placement. T-Level students complete employability training so they understand the demands and expectations of the workplace before placement starts.

Both are very different to school work experience, which lasts 1-2 weeks.

We are working with schools and colleges to deliver T-Level style placements now.

This will support a successful launch when students begin taking T Levels in September 2020, as well as bringing your business the associated benefits much earlier.

We want you to help design a placement that will both benefit your business and teach young people the skills you look for in an employee.

You must make sure the work environment is safe, the student has a line manager to support them and provide an appraisal of the student’s time on placement.

You’ll receive support at every stage of the process from your partner school or college, who will make sure that students are ready to be productive members of your workforce.

They will support planning the timeline and objectives of the industry placement.

You’ll receive support at every stage of the process from your partner school or college, who will make sure that students are ready to be productive members of your workforce.

They will support planning the timeline and objectives of the industry placement.

How to apply
If you’re creating more than 30 job placements

If your organisation is creating more than 30 job placements as part of the Kickstart Scheme, you can submit your application directly.

If you’re creating fewer than 30 job placements

If your organisation is creating fewer than 30 job placements, you cannot apply directly. You must find someone to apply on your behalf.

Other organisations could include:

  • similar employers
  • local authorities
  • trade bodies
  • registered charities

You can contact your local or national Kickstart Scheme employer contact for help finding a someone who can support your involvement in the Kickstart Scheme.