Professor Richard Griffin, MBE is Visiting Professor of Healthcare Management at King’s Business School. Today sees the publication of his report for The Gatsby Charitable Foundation: Inspiring the next generation: T-levels and health and social care workforce planning and progression (PDF). (640 words)
Both the NHS and social care face severe and enduring shortages of staff. Fit for the Future: The NHS 10 Year Plan for England published last year, highlighted the need for the NHS to build local, sustainable workforce pipelines and to recruit more people from the communities the NHS serves.
Recent research by King’s College London, funded by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation, suggests that T Levels – technical qualifications largely delivered by Further Education colleges – offer a route to support both objectives, alongside delivering wider benefits.
First introduced in 2020, T Levels are two-year technical qualifications for 16–19-year-olds, equivalent to three A Levels and including an industry placement. The T Level in Health launched in 2021 and is now the second most popular route, with almost 4,000 students in 2025.
The research used a mixed methods approach to explore the experiences of NHS employers hosting T Level students. In total, representatives from twenty Integrated Care Boards, networks and NHS trusts were interviewed – making this the first comprehensive study of the qualification in the health and care sector.
Building a sustainable workforce pipeline
The research identified a range of benefits for NHS organisations hosting T Level industry placements. T Levels were seen by employers as a more effective recruitment tool than traditional approaches such as career talks and other vocational qualifications. The industry placement, which lasts 45-days in total, was seen as a key differentiator, along with the breadth, relevance, and structure of the curriculum.
Employers reported that T Level students once they had finished the qualification progressed into health and care roles or further education including Higher Level Apprenticeships and degrees in nursing, midwifery and Allied Health Professions. There was a perception that students who went on to study on a healthcare degree or Degree Apprenticeship were more likely return to the employer who had hosted them on their T Level placement.
T Levels had led to improved recruitment and retention outcomes. One employer described how T Level students had filled longstanding Healthcare Assistant vacancies in their Accident and Emergency department and, once employed, had remained in post, where previous direct recruits had not.
In addition, placements expose students to a wide range of roles, including less well-known or ‘at risk’ professions, helping to broaden career awareness. Placement opportunities in social care also led some students to pursue careers in that sector, including domiciliary care roles.
Supporting a more diverse local workforce
The research suggested that T Levels widened access to NHS careers by engaging young people in colleges who may have been less likely to follow traditional academic routes into healthcare employment. This supported a more diverse and locally representative workforce.
Strengthening relationships with Further Education providers
Relationships between the NHS and Further Education vary across the country and can be poor. The study found that engagement with T Levels helped to build and deepen connections between colleges and local NHS organisations. In some cases, this meant establishing new relationships; in others, it strengthened and broadened existing ones. T Level support also created opportunities for more joined-up working with Further Education including around apprenticeships and wider workforce planning.
Conclusion
At present, not all NHS employers host T Level students, meaning the sector is not yet fully realising the benefits identified through the research. While these findings are drawn from organisations with experience of delivering placements, they point to a clear opportunity. With workforce shortages continuing and the focus on building local pipelines intensifying, there is strong potential to scale T Levels more widely across both the NHS and social care. The research also suggests, for the NHS at least, that T Levels are delivering their objectives – meeting employer knowledge and skill needs and providing career opportunities for young people.
Professor Richard Griffin, MBE is Visiting Professor of Healthcare Management at King’s Business School. His report published today was commissioned by The Gatsby Charitable Foundation.