On Friday 11 October, students from Kirklees College’s Digital and Business T Level groups were invited to Lloyd’s Banking’s offices in Leeds for a celebration event to mark completing their placements. The paid placements, which included a three-week bootcamp in March and a longer period over summer, allowed students to work within the digital, finance and business team at Lloyd’s.
As a major employer and recently commended T Level Employer of the Year for West Yorkshire, these placements with Lloyd’s were an incredible opportunity for these young people to experience what it is like working for a big business. Students from Kirklees College, Calderdale College and Shipley College all attended the celebration event and gave presentations on their placement experience.
Students from Kirklees College’s Digital and Business T Level groups presented together respectively, each commenting on the technical skills the placement had given them, the way their confidence in the workplace had grown as a result of the placement, and thanked the other students and colleagues at Lloyd’s for their support.
Tom Mott, Assistant Business Support Manager at Lloyd’s Bank, gave a presentation at the start of the event, and said:
“The skills and knowledge you have developed, both at college and at Lloyd’s, gives you the perfect opportunity for success. Grasp that opportunity with both hands.”
Lloyd’s will also be offering apprenticeship opportunities to successful T Level students and deliver live briefs at Huddersfield and Dewsbury which are an important part of the Personal Development Programme at Kirklees College.
Euan Shaw, Personal Development Tutor at Kirklees College added:
“It has been a pleasure working alongside Tom and the team from Lloyds Banking Group to arrange work placements for our Business and Digital T Level students.
Students have improved their course related skills and their knowledge of careers in the sector and described some of the fantastic opportunities that they have been given whilst on their industry placement, including presenting to Lloyds’ senior management, using complex software systems to analyse data, completing projects within their teams and rotating around different business functions to gain a comprehensive view of Lloyds processes and procedures.
They have also been able to explain how these opportunities have improved their soft skills such as public speaking, teamwork skills, confidence and office etiquette.”
Places are available on both the Digital and Business T Level pathways at Kirklees College starting in September 2025. If you want to access exciting and invaluable work placement opportunities like this, whilst gaining a Level 3 qualification, visit www.kirkleescollege.ac.uk/t-levels/.