BMet T Level students create “work-ready solutions” for Work Experience Week challenge
T Level students at BMet had the opportunity to create “work-ready solutions” for an interactive employer focused challenge, during Work Experience Week – ahead of T Levels Week.
The learners who are studying a range of T Level related courses across the college, were set a task at the beginning of the week, that was specially designed to develop and test their employability skills.
Employees from The Freightliner Group announced to the students “In 2025, it’s 60 years since we ran our first freight flight from London to Scotland. With a limited budget, what ideas do you have to promote and celebrate Freightliner’s birthday inside the company? Think about ideas to involve as many people as possible – we have many locations across the UK. Think creatively when you are presenting your ideas.”
The challenge was part of a packed schedule of activities that took place at BMet’s Matthew Boulton College, for the T-Level focused work experience week.
Key representatives from Birmingham Children’s Trust, Equans, Gately, Glencar, HSBC, Joseph Chamberlain College, MACE, Midland Heart, SME Outsourcing, T H Consultants, Wired Differently came to contribute to and deliver a variety of sessions.
Topics covered in the employability-focused sessions included the importance of networking, selling oneself to employers, personal branding, vision boards, goal setting, interview techniques, equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, importance of Cyber Security and Data Protection.
Other key highlights during the week included speed networking sessions with students and employers, where learners had a chance to find out more about organisations and work experience opportunities.
The live student project brief was thought to be an effective way to start and end Work Experience Week, as students’ knowledge and skillset developed throughout the week.
The winning team was named as Advance Events. They created two main events and multiple public countdowns for Freightliners 60th Anniversary.
Speaking of the challenge, Project Leader, Sophia, who is studying a Level 3 T Level in Business at Matthew Boulton College said:
“We began by brainstorming ideas, which then lead to figuring out the finance costs and marketing strategies of how we were going to bring our ideas to life. We were given a budget which we worked under and were left with a good amount of money to spare, while also keeping the costs of everything realistic. When asked questions within the presentation by the employers, we had answers and knew thoroughly how we could create these events.
“Overall, I felt really happy that my team and I won the work experience week project, leaving me with great connections for the future and experience in a project like this, as I’m striving to work within marketing.”
When asked about the experience gained during Work Experience Week, Sophia added:
“This week allowed me to develop better skills in interview techniques, networking and team building. I also learned a lot of knowledge about the prevention of scams, how to build my own personal profile and we also had workshops on how to write CVs.
“I enjoyed meeting new people and sharing ideas when being set the group project to present in front of employers, as it tested my team leadership skills and gave me a feel for how I would go about a situation like this in the real working world.
As a whole, I now feel that I can approach work experience with a confident approach.”
Asked about the value of T Levels, Sophia said: “I believe T levels are a great choice of course because, unlike apprenticeships, they offer less pressure on a single job role and provide multiple opportunities to prepare for work – giving you more time to figure out your future. Also, another excellent point of T levels is that for most weeks students are out at an event or information talks, allowing us the opportunity to build connections.”
Samuel, who is studying a Level 3 T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development at Sutton Coldfield College was the Project Manager for his “5 Star Event” team. He led his group to create a plan where they would house all the employees at 3 different locations and donate sold souvenirs to charity.
Speaking of his experience, he said: “I have found Work Experience Week very good and very amazing. I enjoyed learning about how to create an effective CV and the speed networking with employers was very good.
“T Levels are important because they provide work experience and a real-life glance at the real world or work whilst studying.”
Work Experience Week was a resounding success for BMet students. As a result of the event, all T Level Management and Admin students are now sending their new and improved CV’s and covering letters to employers. Interviews are also being planned and scheduled for students with employers and T Level Placements are due to commence in the week commencing 13th January 2025.
Violet Williams, Work Experience Manager at BMet said: “The fact that T Levels include 315 hours of work placements is fantastic. For students, as well as gaining academic knowledge through their courses, placements give them a real insight into what they will experience in the workplace.
“My team works hand in hand with employers to ensure that they get a well-rounded overview of the types of roles that could be available to our learners as future employees.”
T Levels are two-year technical programmes, designed with employers, to give young people the skills that industries need. The ‘T’ stands for technical, and T Levels give 16- to 19-year-olds a technical alternative to A levels. One T Level is equivalent to 3 A levels.
You can find out more about the T Level courses that BMet offers on our website. If you are an employer wanting to find out about business opportunities with our students, please email: workexperience@bmet.ac.uk
Please also check out our BMet social media channels and engage with us during T Levels Week, where we will be using the hashtags #TLevelsWeek #Skillsforlife.