Making T-Level Industry Placements Work: Data, Funding, and What We’re Seeing on the Ground

Date | 26th June 2025

With T-Levels now firmly part of the post-16 landscape, colleges are feeling the pressure to deliver quality industry placements at scale. While the ambition is clear, the logistics—matching students to employers, tracking hours, meeting funding requirements—remain a challenge.

At Navigate Learning, we’re seeing a growing number of colleges turning to data not just to stay compliant, but to take control of the placement process. And with the Employer Support Fund (ESF) continuing through this academic year, there’s a real opportunity to strengthen employer engagement—if colleges have the systems in place to support it.

Funding Is There—But Many Aren’t Claiming It

The ESF offers up to £500 per student to help employers cover the real-world costs of hosting a T-Level learner. Travel, training, PPE—it all adds up. But uptake is patchy.

What we’re hearing from colleges is that some employers still don’t know the fund exists. Others are unsure how to access it. We suggest building ESF into your placement planning early—set clear messages for employers, and track who’s eligible and what’s been claimed. Our platform makes that seamless.

Full guidance on the Employer Support Fund – GOV.UK

Placement Management: The Shift Toward Live Data

Placement delivery isn’t just about matching and paperwork anymore. More colleges are shifting to live dashboards—tracking which students are placed, what hours they’ve completed, and where risks might be building. That’s where we come in.

Colleges using Navigate’s platform are able to intervene earlier when students aren’t engaging, identify common issues across employer sites, and demonstrate quality with real evidence.

It’s also helping to reduce placement fallout. One college told us they cut mid-placement dropouts by 30% just by improving how they tracked student attendance and feedback.

Employers Want Reassurance—Not More Hassle

Employer retention is just as important as recruitment. And what we’re hearing from both sides is clear: employers are more likely to host students again when the process feels supported, structured, and low-friction.

That means simplifying how placements are recorded, using standardised feedback tools, and giving employers visibility of progress without flooding them with admin. It’s all possible—but only if colleges have the right systems in place.

The Bigger Picture

T-Levels were designed to bridge the gap between classroom and career. But that only works when students get meaningful experiences—and when colleges can show what’s working, and where support is needed.

We think 2025 is a make-or-break year for building the infrastructure that T-Level placements need: smart systems, smarter use of funding, and a sharper understanding of student progress.

At Navigate Learning, we’re supporting colleges to do exactly that. If you're scaling T-Level delivery or refining your approach, let’s talk.