<p><em>Abbie Hannaby - Careers and Employability Co-ordinator</em></p><p>As a <strong>Careers Coordinator</strong> and a <strong>T Level Ambassador,</strong> I support T Level learners throughout their industry placements, helping them gain valuable real-world experience that complements their studies. My role involves working closely with employers to source and coordinate placements, ensuring both learners and businesses have a positive and successful experience.&nbsp;</p><p>One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is seeing learners develop their confidence, skills and career aspirations while in the workplace. Industry placements are a key part of T Levels, providing learners with the opportunity to apply their learning in a professional environment and prepare for their future careers.</p><p>When considering how T Levels fit into the wider qualifications landscape alongside A Levels, apprenticeships and other vocational routes, I see them as another excellent option for learners. Every learner is different, and it's important that there are a range of pathways available. T Levels offer the best of both worlds by combining academic study with substantial industry experience, making them ideal for learners who want to gain practical skills while continuing their education.</p><p>T Levels are particularly important for learners looking to develop the knowledge and practical skills needed for their chosen career, as they give learners the chance to put their learning into practice in a real work environment. Through their industry placement, learners can build confidence, develop valuable workplace skills and gain first-hand experience of their chosen sector. This helps them understand what employers are looking for and gives them a real advantage when progressing into employment, apprenticeships or further study.</p><p>Employers also play a vital role in shaping the future of T Levels and ensuring learners are prepared for the workplace. As part of my role, I work closely with employers to arrange and support industry placements, and I've seen first-hand the difference they make. By welcoming learners into their workplaces, providing guidance and sharing their expertise, employers help young people develop the confidence and skills they need to succeed in their future careers.</p><p>To ensure T Levels remain accessible and relevant to a diverse range of learners while maintaining high standards, I believe it's about providing the right support while keeping learner success at the centre of everything we do. Every learner's journey is different, so it's important to help them overcome barriers and make the most of the opportunities available to them. Strong support, high-quality teaching and meaningful industry placements all contribute to maintaining high standards and ensuring learners have the best possible experience.</p><p>Finally, for employers or learners who are still unfamiliar with T Levels and the opportunities they offer, I'd encourage them to find out more and get involved. For learners, T Levels offer a unique opportunity to combine classroom learning with meaningful industry experience. For employers, hosting a placement is a fantastic way to support young people, bring fresh ideas into the workplace and help develop future talent for their industry.</p>

<p data-pm-slice="0 0 []">One of our <a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin… Level Business and Management</u></a> students, Luke, has shone outside the classroom by being part of the<strong> Somerset Disabled Cricket Club</strong> who have just been crowned National Champions in the <strong>D40 Pursuit Title</strong> after a 3-wicket win over Middlesex at Corsham Cricket Club last month.</p><p>The final was a rain-reduced, 25-over match played at Corsham in Wiltshire. Somerset Disabled CC won the toss and elected to bowl, bowling the opposition out for 108 runs. Luke took an impressive three wickets as part of an outstanding all-round team fielding performance. Somerset then chased down the target with just two balls to spare in a nail-biting finish! This fantastic achievement even received recognition on BBC Points West Breakfast, highlighting the team’s success.</p><p>Luke has been playing cricket for 3 years for both <strong>Lympsham and Belvedere Cricket Club</strong>, and <strong>Somerset Disabled Cricket Club</strong>, during this he has been working towards the <strong>D40 Pursuit Title</strong> which is a county-level National championship for the top domestic cricket players with physical, learning disabilities or hearing loss.</p><p>Luke shared why he loves cricket, saying, “2 years ago, I had 4 operations on both my legs and feet which meant I had a lengthy recovery time of 6 months and am still continuing physio, but the thought of getting back on the field kept me going. Cricket is a sport I can play with friends and compete against able-bodied people on a level playing field which I enjoy, and I also find the statistics side of the game interesting with the aim to improve my levels year on year.”</p><p>Luke encourages anyone considering getting involved with clubs or sports outside of college to do it, “I enjoy the banter and encouragement of my teammates. It has given me lifelong connections and relationships, and being involved in a club teaches you to be part of a team and a community.”</p><p>A huge well done to Luke and the team for this incredible win, and we look forward to hearing about your future achievements in the cricket field.</p><p><strong>If you are passionate about education and are looking for an opportunity to join the staff team at a leading college, then look at the latest job vacancies available at Weston College </strong><a class="ProsemirrorEditor-link" href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/jobs?utm_source=main-menu&amp;utm_medium=main-…;. You can find all the latest job opportunities that Weston College has to offer, with a commitment to providing quality education for learners and a focus on continuous professional development for staff, Weston College is an excellent place to work and grow in your career.</strong></p>

<p>Hello readers, my name is Tom Hart, and I am studying the <a href="https://www.weston.ac.uk/what-can-i-study/courses-16-18-year-olds/busin… and Administration T level</a> at Weston College. I would love to tell you about my industry placement at <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo</a&gt; and what it involves.</p><p>My placement at <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo</a&gt; involves me working closely with the finance team, together we process payments and manage all the financial aspects of Yugo around Europe. My role specifically is to help my colleagues ensure that the finances are accurate, delivered, and received on time. I spend a lot of time using systems like Xelix, NetSuite and Excel. I use these systems to create lots of information regarding Yugo’s finances. I am also very familiar with doing the physical post, some days involved me opening over 200 pieces of physical mail.&nbsp;</p><p>All of these processes might seem small scale, but they actually help <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo</a&gt; keep their tenants organised and up to date with their payments, there are over 160,000 tenants that are apart of <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo.</a&gt; The work that I do alone helps to cover thousands of these students and makes sure that their payments get through consistently allowing them to use <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo’s</a> services.</p><p>I have been learning many different skills that can really benefit my future career, things like accuracy, which is one of the most important things that I have learned, has been key in every piece of work I do for <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo.</a&gt; Having access to all of the experience around me is a huge benefit not only because of the knowledge they hold but also because of what they can give, and it has allowed me to learn much further than I thought I would have.</p><p>After arriving at the office, my first job is creating and processing invoices, normally I cover the Spanish invoices, but I also help do the Ireland invoices. Once that is completed, I help to organise the spreadsheets that a colleague may need help with, this can allow them to work on a further task at the same time as teaching me what I am doing with all the information and what my work leads to. Occasionally, I will make a trip down to the bank to transfer some cheques, or head down to the post office to post some mail. Finally, I have also been introduced into processing money into the business, allowing me to receive payments and send money out as well. My days normally vary but this is the main jobs that I do.</p><p>I have received lots of support from both <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo</a&gt; and Weston College. <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo</a&gt; have offered me many resources and different types of support due to me working a large amount of my time at home. My colleagues also have been very friendly with teaching and showing me what to do and if I ever go wrong, the environment feels like a very level playing field where everyone is equal, no matter the title or role.</p><p>Weston College have also offered lots of support, offering to help me find another placement if <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo</a&gt; couldn’t offer me what I was looking for, as well as helping me to adapt what I have learnt with <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo.</a></p><p>Weston College have given me more than enough resources through teaching whether it involves using real world systems like excel or understanding different sectors of business. Fortunately, my finance units in college have aligned with some of the work I do at <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo,</a&gt; allowing me to learn <a href="https://yugo.com/en-gb/home">Yugo’s</a> processes quicker than I thought I would have, also allowing me to work independently more often.</p><p>Some of the skills I have learnt include accuracy, communication, and understanding real life processes. These have allowed me to improve my formality, quality of work, and how well I work in a team. These skills will be beneficial to me in the future due to me wanting to pursue a career in finance and business. I have always found it difficult when someone asks me what I want to do when I am older, but this course and the placement have really helped me decide what I want to pursue when I’m older.</p><p>A standout moment for me was when a colleague gave me a piece of work to do that, he had been stuck on for a while, he explained to me that it was a long task that was taking him weeks to finish, so he asked me to have a go to get some more progress in, he said he expected that it would take me a few weeks to complete. So, when I completed the piece of work by the end of the day, the look of shock and appreciation on his face made me realise the good feeling of doing some hard work, and because of that it will be a standout moment for me for a long time.</p>