Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of companies paid T-Level students who were undertaking a 45-day work placement with them in the 2022-23 academic year.

The Industry Placement Delivery Guidance states that students on an industry placement are not entitled to a salary as the placement forms part of a 16-19 education and training programme. As such, there is no legal requirement or expectation that T Level students will be paid. Should employers feel that paying students works better for their business, then they have the option to do so. This must be agreed up front. Employers may wish to refer to guidance on making payments to students. As payment is voluntary, the department does not collect data on employers who choose to pay students. Placements focus on providing students with a high-quality, meaningful experience. To support employers, we have launched a £12 million employer support fund for the financial year 2023/24 to help them cover legitimate costs they may incur when hosting placements.