How Sodexo is solving skills shortages with T Levels

As we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week (6 to 10 February 2022), Andrew Corbett, technical services manager for Sodexo, outlines what T Levels are, how they benefit Sodexo and students, and why they will be crucial in solving skills shortages.

When I first heard T Levels through our early careers lead, I was interested to find out more and see what opportunities they could offer to us and our clients as they are set to play an important role in helping to fill skills gaps in England and providing young people with a new route into certain careers 

Launched in September 2020 by the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education T Levels are a post GCSE two-year Level 3 vocational qualification for 16- to 19-year-olds, with each T Level equivalent to three A levels.

They have been created in partnership with employers to give young people the knowledge, attitude, and practical skills they need to advance into skilled work, an apprenticeship, or further study. They differ from apprenticeships in that they are 80% classroom based, 20% on-the-job. 

Each T Level includes an in-depth industry placement that provides students with essential work experience and practical sector insights. The placement must last a minimum of 315 hours, which is around 45 days and will provide the students with the invaluable opportunity to put their learning, knowledge, and skills into practice in a real workplace environment. 

On the flip side, T Levels will give employers a unique opportunity to attract and develop new talent to their workforce as well as helping young people become work ready. 

The FM and building services sectors are experiencing an ongoing skills shortage in the UK and we see T Levels as a great opportunity to address this and attract more young people to our industry.

For us, the skills shortage became evident when trying to recruit new personnel within our technical services team through the usual channels, such as company careers website or recruitment agencies. We discovered that there was a shrinking pool of candidates, and the calibre of these candidates was typically well below what we would like.

When taking on T Level students, a key driver is engaging with good quality students who have the potential to develop into great employees. With this in mind, it made sense to start establishing a talent pipeline that both our business and the larger FM and building services industry could tap into and benefit from.

The T-Level student placements allow us to engage earlier than with apprenticeships and students are able to learn about our industry and select the technical subject matter they are most drawn to while not fully committing to full-time employment which is required within the apprenticeship framework.

Sodexo delivers a wide range of services for its clients and is committed to engaging in the learning journey of its employees at all levels thereby offering T Level students a unique opportunity to learn about our dynamic and diverse industry and the many different roles on offer to them in which they can develop and grow within the business.

Before a student begins a work placement at Sodexo, we will ensure all the paperwork , documentation and Health & Safety risk assessments are completed, and will ensure appropriate workwear is ordered and ready for the beginning of their placement with us. 

As with all new starters the students will be given site safety information before being introduced to the rest of the team. Each student is paired with an experienced engineer and then accompanies them as they carry out their duties and tasks. 

To ensure the placement is aligned with their classroom learning, the college course tutors share the syllabus with us, enabling us to ensure that the students practical experience is relevant and supports their learning.

"At Sodexo we don’t just want our students to learn the nuts and bolts of being a maintenance engineer for example. We want to give them an understanding of the FM industry, Sodexo’s position within it and the many other parts of the business that may be of interest to them and inspire them to further their career with us."



T Levels are a fantastic opportunity for businesses to invest in young people and provide them with the skills and knowledge required to thrive. I am excited about the opportunities T Levels offer us as a business and the industry to start to reduce the skills gap and to raise awareness of the many career opportunities we can offer.

Visit our careers page for more information about working with us