If you are aged 16-18 years old and undertaking a T Level qualification at Sparsholt College then you will undertake a mandatory industry placement as an integral part of your study programme with us.
Some of the key benefits when undertaking an industry placement alongside your studies, includes:
Who completes an industry placement?
Students undertaking the following T Level qualifications require participation on a mandatory industry placement:
The College will timetable one day per week into the College calendar for students to be able to attend their industry placement during term time. You may also be able to complete your placement hours using any non-college study days, weekends, out of term time and holiday periods. An attendance plan will be agreed with each student, employer or voluntary organisation at the start of the placement.
Industry Placements within Land-based T-Levels require students to complete a minimum of 315 hours with an employer or voluntary organisation across the two years of their programme, which equates to 45 days of 7 hour days.
Students will be set employability and technical skills development objectives linked to key tasks they will undertake in the workplace. These relate to students’ studies and help direct their career aspirations and future employment pathways.
Our Industry Placement team will be in touch with all applicants from mid-Summer Term onwards to make contact, agree actions for you to start researching and contacting employers. We strongly recommend you review the student guide here.
Get in touch with the Industry Placement team on ip@sparsholt.ac.uk, if:
Grofar
Grofar is the software the college uses to manage industry placements and track your progress. You will have access to Grofar as a student of Sparsholt College once you start with us, and will be able to keep a record of your hours worked, experiences and skills development towards the targets of your industry placement. This whole record will be yours to keep and is great evidence to show to potential employers when applying for jobs after college.
Grofar works on any device: smartphone, computer or tablet. To easily access Grofar on your device, add the Grofar homepage to your Home Screen. You gain access to the Grofar Student Portal using your college Microsoft login details – once you have been inducted at the college.
We already work with a fantastic range of employers and voluntary organisations who have been offering industry placements to our students. We have some great case studies with previous and current students that demonstrate the real benefits of getting involved. Our Industry Placement team will be able to support and guide you through the process from the start and can help you secure the right employer or voluntary organisation to suit your needs.
No doubt you will have some questions about the industry placement programme and so we’ve put together some common questions and answers to help you.
Is it mandatory to participate in an Industry Placement?
If you are enrolled onto a T Level qualification, then this is a mandatory component part of the course and has great benefits to developing your workplace skills related to your course.
Can I use an existing employer or voluntary organisation that I am involved with, as my Industry Placement?
If the employer or voluntary organisation is working in a similar industry or sector to your main programme of study, then this is possible, yes. Get in touch with the Industry Placement team to find out.
Is there any financial help that the College can provide me if I participate in an Industry Placement?
The College have provided financial support to students in the past regarding their course and industry placement where they have met certain financial criteria. If you feel this is a significant barrier to you engaging with a placement, then please get in touch with the Industry Placement team to discuss this further.
I have a current Education, Health & Care Plan (EHCP) or SEND need. Do I have to participate in an Industry Placement this year?
If you are enrolled onto a T Level qualification, then this is a mandatory component part of the course and has great benefits to developing your workplace skills related to your course. You might be able to complete some of your industry placement hours within College facilities, dependent on the T Level course. You will be able to gain support via the Industry Placement team, along with your Progress Coach and Learning Support staff to support you to a secure a suitable placement opportunity to meet your personal and employability needs. Please get in touch to discuss this further.
Can I source my own Industry Placement?
Yes. The Industry Placement team would need to verify with the employer or voluntary organisation that it would be relevant to your main programme of study, and that it was a safe environment to complete your Industry Placement.
I don’t have an employer or voluntary organisation in mind for my Industry Placement. Where do I start, and what help can I get?
Employers and Voluntary Organisations are keen to hear from prospective students directly, and the College support a ‘student-led’ approach to identifying and approaching employers for placement opportunities. You know your home area the best and are hopefully best placed to know who to contact. However, the Industry Placement team are happy to support you with this process where you need help.
Can I use multiple placements across a number of employers and voluntary organisations to complete my Industry Placement this year?
You can have up to a maximum of two employers or voluntary organisations that will help you complete your Industry Placement hours. This gives you a chance to test out several career pathways in line with your study programme or different types of employers in the same pathway or environment.
Do I have to use the 1-day a week timetabled into College term times to complete my Industry Placement?
Every student will be encouraged to use this timetabled day for attendance at their Industry Placement. However, there is opportunity to ‘swap’ your timetabled placement day for a day(s) on the weekend where you can still attend placement while keeping up to date with your college work and other commitments.
I will be a residential student when I start with Sparsholt College and live on campus during term time. Do I have to attend a placement each week?
We strongly encourage all residential students to secure their first placement close to home, so that you can attend placement when you are not in College – i.e. holidays, weekends, half terms, etc. It is often easier to secure a placement local to College once you are mobile and have your own transport to get to placement more easily.
You will need to ensure you can meet the minimum 315 hours required on placement and agree planned attendance hours with the Industry Placement team in advance of your placement start. It is also possible to combine these options to complete your total placement hours across two placements – one at home and one close to college.
Visit our Open Days or speak to our friendly Industry Placements team:
Call 01962 797415 or email ip@sparsholt.ac.uk
We also deliver T Level and Foundation T Level programmes at our sister campus, Andover College.