T Level Management & Administration students taking part in induction day at WDH

Wakefield College and WDH have teamed up to deliver a brand-new T Level in Management & Administration – enabling students to gain hands-on, valuable work experience in their chosen sector.

As part of this, seven T Level students have embarked on a 45-day industry placement with WDH across a range of departments including marketing, shared ownership, finance and strategy.

Industry placements offer students the opportunity to gain the skills and knowledge employers are looking for, whilst giving employers such as WDH early sight of the new talent in their industry.

Murray Philip, T Level Management & Administration student, said:

"Studying a T Level has the advantage of carrying out an industry placement which has allowed me to experience various departments across WDH, including its Customer Service Team where my placement currently is. I’m confident that I will be able to apply the skills I acquire on the course and during my placement in the future. Overall, the T Level in Management & Administration is an exceptional opportunity that presents academic challenges, whilst opening up a vast array of opportunities for me."

To prepare for their industry placements, WDH invited T Level students into their head office in Castleford for an insight day where they received a pitch from all the service areas so that they could see which one was right for them.

After a successful interview process, the students were selected for their chosen placement.

T Level Management & Administration students taking part in induction day at WDH

Tim Craven, Social Investment Manager at WDH, said: “Our vision is to create confident communities and one of the ways we do this is by supporting young people, many of whom live in our homes, to access training opportunities, gain skills and reach their full potential. We believe T Levels are a route to this success, by providing young people with valuable, real-life work experience which will form the foundations of their future careers. As a business, this also enables us to create a talent pipeline whilst giving our existing employees the opportunity to continue developing through the mentoring of students.”

Since it was established in 2005, WDH has become one of the UK’s largest social housing providers, with over 32,000 homes across the Wakefield district and its wider operating area across the north of England.

Benjamin Porter, Head of Business, Leisure & Tourism at the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group, said: “The Group has built a strong relationship with WDH over the years, and we’re delighted to have them on board as a T Level industry placement partner. WDH has been working closely with our employees to ensure what we will deliver in the classroom is aligned with industry skills and competences at WDH. This has enabled us to create a bespoke placement agreement and training objectives that develop our learners’ skillsets in relation to the careers they aspire to.”

The T Level programme provides learners with an understanding of the management and administration sector, enabling them to gain knowledge and skills in business context, people, quality compliance, projects and change management.

The Heart of Yorkshire Education Group – which includes Castleford College, Selby College and Wakefield College – also offers T Level programmes in Construction, Digital, Education & Early Years, Engineering & Manufacturing and Health.

Introduced by the Department for Education in 2020, T Levels combine theoretical knowledge with experience in the real world of work to give students a head-start towards their future goals - whether that's employment, a higher apprenticeship or further education.