Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to her Department’s press release entitled Regional funding to train next generation of construction workers, published on 20 May 2026, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of existing T Level construction placements in supporting recruitment into the construction workforce.

Industry placements are a core, mandatory element of T Levels, designed to give students substantial, hands on experience of working in industry so they can develop the technical skills, confidence and readiness they need for future employment.

T Levels are providing excellent opportunities for young people to progress into skilled jobs and careers, and 97.9% of students in receipt of a T Level result completed their industry placement last year.

They also benefit employers, helping them build their future workforce, tackle skills shortages in their business, whilst boosting productivity and bringing new ideas and perspectives.

Our Technical Education Learners Survey for the latest cohort of T Level students that we have data for demonstrates positive outcomes for T Level construction placements. 33% of T Level construction learners from the third cohort who went straight into employment were working for their industry placement employer, more than for T Level learners on other routes.

Of those Construction learners who agreed or were neutral that their course prepared them for the workplace, the Industry Placement was the most frequently mentioned aspect that learners thought best prepared them (66%).