Learning from the Greater Manchester T Level Health and Care Industry Placement Programme

New insight from a Greater Manchester pilot programme shows what it takes to deliver high-quality Health T Level industry placements at scale – and the sustained, system-wide effort required to make this work in practice.  

Backed by investment from Gatsby, matched in kind by NHS Greater Manchester and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, the 18-month T Level Industry Placement Programme set out to strengthen the quantity, quality, consistency and sustainability of placements across the region. To achieve this, the pilot focused on building a coordinated, system-led approach that worked for learners, education providers and employers alike.  

Activity centred on unlocking opportunities across hospital settings, adult social care, primary care and the voluntary sector. The programme supported 34 new employers across health, social care and the voluntary sector to commit to placements – 18 onboarded during the pilot and 16 pledged. In total, 59 additional placements were created, with a further 30 in discussion. 

Placements expanded into areas where they had previously been harder to secure – including maternity services, estates and facilities, and finance — broadening students’ exposure to the full range of clinical and non-clinical careers. 

Alongside this, employers and colleges were supported to build confidence and capability. The programme engaged 244 stakeholders through the Greater Manchester T Level Network, delivered seven webinars reaching more than 300 stakeholders, and promoted T Levels to over 50 organisations at events and forums. 

While large-scale transformation was not expected within the 18-month investment window, the end of project report suggests a clear system shift. Placement capacity accelerated, confidence in delivery increased, and buy-in to T Levels strengthened across the region. A key success has been the launch of a pilot programme creating new routes into paid employment supported by NHS Professionals, NHS GM and the Northern Care Alliance. After completing their industry placement and Care Certificate, learners will be supported to join the NHS Professionals staff bank, to gain flexible paid work at the Trust creating a seamless journey from classroom to career.  

Key learnings from the programme include:  

• Sustainable growth in placement capacity depended on building trust between employers and providers, not focusing solely on targets. 

• Effective delivery required coordination across organisations with different operational pressures and priorities, supported by clear leadership and shared objectives. 

• Taking time to understand individual organisational contexts helped shift discussions from perceived barriers to practical solutions. 

• Employers were more likely to maintain and expand placements where they felt a sense of shared ownership, rather than seeing participation as a short-term requirement. 

 Crucially, the learning from Greater Manchester is not place-specific. The programme demonstrates how health and care systems nationally can take a structured, partnership-led approach to growing industry placements — adapting the model to local context while applying the same principles of coordination, leadership and trust. 

As the report concludes: “The greatest impact came not from increasing placement numbers, but from building trusted relationships that support long-term, sustainable growth.” 

Read the report here

For further information, please contact gm.workforce@nhs.net or claire.reynolds@gatsby.org.uk