Nash Squared launch partnership with Department for Education at Tech Talent Pipeline event

On Monday 16th October, over 50 digital leaders, HR/talent experts and education specialists attended the very inspiring Nash Squared Tech Talent Pipeline event, in partnership with the Department for Education.  Our photographer was there to capture it all, so we’re delighted to share our photo album.

The event was introduced by Nash Squared Group Marketing Director, Robert Grimsey (who also chaired the panel discussion) and Bev White, Nash Squared CEO.

We were delighted to be joined by our speakers Kiera Harper, Director of Professional and Technical Education at the Department of Education and Professor Simon Hepburn, Chief Executive Officer at the UK Cyber Security Council.

After listening to Kiera and Simon talk enthusiastically about the positives of the T Level qualification, we had a fascinating panel discussion which comprised of Jenny Taylor, MBE – Foundation Lead, Early Professional Programmes at IBM UK, Tara McLaughlin – Sales & Marketing Manager at Ajar Technology, Nicola Weekly – Business Engagement Officer at La Retraite RC Girls School and Daniela Gomes Luna, who is a current T Level student at La Retraite.

Six things we learnt from the event…

1. T Levels are a two year course, similar to an A Level, but they have a 45 day industry placement, which allows students to get ‘on the ground’ experience while they study.
2. The skills gap around cyber security, which is a specialism of the Digital Support Services T Level, is 3.4 million empty seats globally.
3. Schools and colleges that teach T Levels work with employers on the interview and selection process, very much like a standard job interview, to make sure they are hiring the right people.
4. T Levels can lead to multiple different pathways.  Students still have the opportunity to go to university after they have completed their T Level qualification.  IBM UK have actually just hired their first T Level student on a permanent basis.  Even if an employer doesn’t have a vacancy for their student at the end of the course, they can still help in other ways by recommending them to their clients.
5. There is help for employers who want to get involved by taking on an industry placement student.  There is a government fund and advice that can be found online.
6. After the announcement by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that the Advanced British Standard (ABS) will be introduced in the next 3-10 years, this is by no means the end of T Levels.  They will be the backbone of the ABS.  Since its inception in 2020, T Levels now has 1000s of students studying nationwide.

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