What Can We Offer Employers?
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Industry Placements
Industry Placements have replaced the traditional 1 to 2 week work experience with the aim of providing a mutually beneficial experience for both the employer and student.
Our students work with employers around their College timetable to gain consistent, long term experience and exposure in their desired industry. The employer gains a part skilled student who can be a valuable part of the business; providing a greater return of investment to those who open up these opportunities.
We offer Industry Placements in a variety of curriculum areas to students on Level 3 and Level 2 courses, aged 16 – 18 (or SEND students up to 24 years) across North Kent College and Hadlow College.
Key Details:
- To achieve this mutually beneficial partnership, we are seeking placements with a minimum of 315 + hours on a weekly basis of 1 or 2 days per week over 6 to 12 months. We aim to be flexible so that the placement model works for both parties.
- Selecting your student - The College will support you in the selection process, from advertising vacancies, sending CVs, organising interviews and liaising with the students. We can be flexible about start times to suit the business needs as long as the placement is outside their normal college timetable. We can also provide a matching service for students if you don’t wish to interview.
- We will continually assess the student in the workplace and our staff will visit to monitor their progress via structured feedback.
- Students will receive pre-employment training before joining you to ensure they understand your expectations around behaviour in the workplace, dress codes and timekeeping etc. We will discuss these with you beforehand to ensure any specific expectations are recorded. We will also discuss and set objectives for the students.
- We expect your premises to comply with health and safety regulations, be Covid safe and that you hold the relevant insurance policies, as our student should be treated as an employee whilst in your workplace. We will carry out checks before the placement starts to verify policies are in place.
- Students on industry placements do not expect to be paid but if you feel it would be appropriate you can pay the student. North Kent College will provide students with any PPE they may be required to wear, but we would expect any work-related tools, pens, workstations, desks or facilities etc to be provided.
Please note for Safeguarding purposes we cannot offer Industry Placements with sole traders or businesses based in a residential environment.
For more information regarding Industry Placements please call us on 01322 629758 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Employability Sessions & Mentoring
Our aim as a College is to ensure we prepare our students for the industry they are training towards. We achieve this by combining their qualification training with employability sessions.
An integral part of these employability sessions is to provide access and exposure to Industry professionals who are willing to share their own career journey and their knowledge of the industry.
If you are able to provide guidance and advice to the workforce of the future please call us on 01322 629758 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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Employment Opportunities
We are grateful to any employer who is looking to recruit our students. They are required to be in education until they are 18 therefore they are primarily available for part time opportunities.
Throughout the College academic year we are more than happy to share part time working opportunities with our students.
If you are looking to fulfil a full time position we can offer these to our students at the end of the academic year only around April/May.
Please call us on 01322 629758 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss further.
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Working with Employers Newsletter
Interested in finding out more about how we are ‘Working with Employers’. Have a read of our Employer Newsletters filled with examples of employers and students working together as well as helpful information and advice for employers.
Apprenticeships - Employing an apprentice
If you're struggling to recruit people with the right skills and experience you need, or you have an ageing workforce with valuable skills to pass on - an apprentice may be the best solution for your business.
By working with our team of experts, we can help tailor apprenticeship programmes to your requirements. Giving you flexibility and the ability to fast-track young people into your future management team.
There are three levels of apprenticeship available:
- Intermediate Level 2: equivalent to five A* to C’s at GCSE
- Advanced Level 3: equivalent to two A Levels
- Higher Level 4 & 5: equivalent to an HND or Foundation Degree
The Levy and incentives
- Larger employers who take on an Apprentice, only pay their salary. Your Apprenticeship Levy (0.5% of your payroll) will pay for their training course costs.
- If you don't pay the Levy and take on a 16-18 year old, their training costs are FREE - the Government pays this. If they are over 19 years old, you only pay 10% of the cost and the Government picks up the other 90%. (This also applies to 19-24 year olds who have previously been in care or who have a local authority education, health and care plan.)
- If you are not a Levy payer and you employ a 16-18 year old, you can also claim a £1,000 incentive payment from the Government. (This also applies to 19-24 year olds who have previously been in care or who have a local authority education, health and care plan.)
- There is a National Minimum Wage for apprentices. However, many employers prefer to pay more and research shows that the average salary is approximately £170 - £210 per week (as at February 2014).
Key statistics from the National Apprenticeship Service
- 96% of employers with apprentices have experienced at least one benefit from taking on apprentices, and most can count at least 8 benefits
- 86% of employers said that apprentices helped to develop relevant skills for the organisation and to fill the skills gap
- 73% of employers say that staff morale is improved by having apprentices
- 81% of consumers favour using a company that takes on apprentices and 25% are willing to pay more for products from a business that employs apprentices
- 74% of employers say that apprentices improved products or service quality
- 78% say that apprentices improved productivity
- 67% of employers say that employing apprentices improved their image in the sector
Did you know - there are more than 250 different types of apprenticeships available, offering over 1,400 job