Grantham business BGB secures future workforce with T Level placements

Local manufacturer, BGB, which employs 110 people in the local area, has hosted four T Level students to date – giving the firm access to motivated young people learning the latest manufacturing skills and adding value to their daily operations.

T Levels are a two-year qualification for 16–19-year-olds, combining classroom learning with a 45-day industry placement. BGB has embedded T Levels into their recruitment strategy and will be taking on new students again this year.

Nathan Flower, Production Manager at BGB says: “We’ve got an ageing workforce here at BGB - lots of experienced specialists who’ve been with us a long time – so we knew we needed to do something to invest in our future team and open our doors to the next generation of engineers.”

Hosting T Level students has given BGB the chance to see the students’ skills in action over an extended period – helping the company build a clearer picture of how they’d fit into their team than an interview alone.

He adds: “The long-standing skills gap in our sector really needs addressing and T Levels could play a crucial part. It’s important that our team on the shop floor sees BGB proactively working to bridge the gap. We’re not just waiting for someone to come to us; we’re opening our doors and giving real opportunities that could then lead to employment.”

The qualifications were designed with employers, so students have the technical skills that businesses are looking for. One in three students who progress into work are hired by their placement employer (DfE).

“As the students are doing an engineering course, we felt confident giving them real work straight away.

“They're not working on little projects or test pieces; they're producing items that go out the door. One of our students has been working on a 150-tonne hydraulic press, operating production work. They’ve also been working on components that end up in multimillion-pound wind turbines. We've got our experienced engineers working alongside them, but we believe the best way for them to gain experience is for them to just get stuck in.”

T Level placements are built to be flexible, to suit employers of all sizes – including small and micro businesses. Employers can offer the placements on day release, in blocks, or even share these with another employer, to suit each individual business’s capacity.

BGB plans to recruit two or three young individuals each year. Nathan concludes: “Hosting a T Level student is a straight-forward process. The students we’ve had have been really switched-on – and they came armed with the knowledge to understand basic drawings and how to use the equipment. For us, it’s a win-win.”

Employers can find out more about T Level industry placements at https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb