Bettys & Taylors hail York College as 'the best T Level provider' after taking on four placement students

The world-famous North Yorkshire business, renowned for producing Yorkshire Tea and running the Bettys tea shops, chose our college as their sole T Level partners and currently have their first four students on placement.

One, just weeks into their work experience, is even managing all of the company’s Ocado orders!

Katy Urakalo (pictured main image), Bettys & Taylors’ Early Careers & Apprenticeship Schemes Manager, shared her enthusiasm for the qualification and working relationship with York College during a T Level Employer Breakfast held in our The Cookery training restaurant.

The event provided an opportunity for current placement partners to share their experiences and advice on T Levels with prospective interested businesses.

Yorvik Electrical Works Manager Ryan Watson offered perspective from a Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise (SME) and explained how the placements can serve as a “315-hour job interview,” having welcomed 11 York College T Level students into the workplace over the past four years. 

Almost 30 different firms and organisations were represented at the breakfast across multiple sectors including charity, recruitment, local authority, care home, education, civil engineering, insurance, food and drink, electrics, hospitality, construction, theme park, cleaning and rail.

Bettys & Taylors had planned to take on three T Level Business Leadership & Management students, before the calibre of candidate during the interview process led to them recruiting a fourth.

One student is working with the Learning Development Team, another with the Ecommerce Team and two more with the Commercial Team.

On the motivation for offering T Level placements and why York College was the right choice as an education partner, Ms Urakalo declared: “It’s a fantastic opportunity to spot talent early and, as we think about what skills gaps we will need to meet in the future, it’s important to create opportunities for young people to gain meaningful work experience.

“We very quickly identified York College as the best provider of T Levels for us to work with. The real difference we found is the level of support the college offers and establishes with employers.

“Other colleges seemed more focussed on placing a student and then that was that, so we made the decision to work solely with York College on T Levels. The college team have so much expertise and have answered lots of my questions over the past few months.” 

The impact made by Bettys & Taylors’ first cohort of T Level students has cemented the company’s commitment to continuing embracing the qualification’s potential.

“The students have really started to deliver meaningful work,” Ms Urakalo added. “One is already managing all of our Ocado orders - they just ran with it, which was really quite impressive.

“We will be bringing in another cohort next September, because we know we can evolve this and create more opportunities. We’ve absolutely been able to see the benefits really early in our journey with York College and the next cohort will be working in different areas of the organisation.”

Mr Watson, of Yorvik Electrical, is equally as enthusiastic about the T Level model.

He was accompanied at the Employer Breakfast by Chase Gilmour – a former York College Building Services Engineering for Construction (Electrical Installations) T Level student who is now in the third year of his Installation & Maintenance Electrician apprenticeship, which he was offered following the end of his placement with the Tang Hall-based electrical contractors.

“We are very passionate about the qualification, because it gives the student an opportunity to see what being an electrician is like, while developing skills for their future,” Mr Watson pointed out. “It’s potentially a 315-hour interview for them with the chance of a job at the end of it.”

On Yorvik Electrical’s trusted relationship with College, Mr Watson added: “The T Level placement has been cost effective for the business and the college is fantastic. Everybody there is so supportive and you get lots of feedback. 

“We’ve had help in terms of the accreditation that is needed so the students are ready for work when they come to us. Students have also been helped with their travel costs coming to work."

Describing the T Level’s key benefits, Chase pointed out: “It’s a foot in the door and an opportunity to get work experience, while learning whether it’s the right job for you.”

Earlier, the breakfast had begun with York College Curriculum & Standards Manager for Early Years & Inclusion Liza Bradley and Work Placement Team Leader Emily Grimes delivering an overview of the T Level qualification, along with information on the Employer Support Fund that is accessible for SMEs, as well as businesses willing to take on a Health student.

Both members of staff also fielded questions from the assembled employers on safeguarding, working hours and syllabus requirements.

We would like to thank the following organisations for spending the time to learn more about our T Level provision at the breakfast: The Wilberforce Trust, Reed, City of York Council, Yorkare Homes, Teacher Active, Vinci Construction, University of York, Hesley Group, McClarrons, York Against Cancer, Judge Electrical, The Escapologist, Job Centre Plus, AmcoGiffen, Identity Consult, DJ Assembly, Flamingo Land, Luminosa Cleaning, Wetherby Home Care, Tupgill Park, Slingsby Advanced Composites, Grand Central Rail (Aviva), The Association of Electrical & Mechanical Trades and Springfield Healthcare.

For more information about our T Level in Leadership & Management course, visit here

Further details on our Building Services Engineering for Construction (Electrical Installations) T Level can be found here

A full list of our T Level and Vocational course provision is available here

Want to discuss any of our degree, higher-level, vocational, T Level, A Level & Mix and adult courses or apprenticeships with our expert team of tutors and check out our state-of-the-art facilities? Then, please come along to our next Open Event. An overview of what to expect and upcoming dates is included here