Poundland proud to support its first T Level placement student

Poundland is working with Walsall College to give a warm welcome to 17-year-old Richard Wagner, a Digital Production, Design and Development T Level student.

This is Richard’s third week of working within the Digital Team at Poundland’s Customer Support Centre in Walsall.

The first year student is enriching his learning with 315 hours of practical experience at Poundland, working there every Tuesday as part of his studies.

Richard said: “It’s been a great experience. I have already learned a lot of new skills that can help me with my career.

“I have met a lot of fantastic people at Poundland in Walsall.  They have been very welcoming and really supportive.”

Richard was among eight students interviewed for the role.

He said: “The interview experience was really useful. I think I did well, I prepared really hard for it. Knowing it would be an informal interview gave me the opportunity to understand the questions they might ask me.”

T Levels are an alternative to A levels, apprenticeships and other 16 to 19 courses. Each T Level includes an in-depth industry placement that lasts at least 45 days. Students get valuable experience in the workplace; employers get early sight of the new talent in their industry.

Paul Heppell, the Skills and Qualifications Manager for Poundland, said: “This is something we have been really keen to implement over these past few months.

“We are proud that Richard is our first T Level placement student, and we are keen to provide opportunities to more young people, across different Poundland departments.

“It is fantastic for us to be working alongside our local college in Walsall.

“Poundland is determined to support young people into skilled employment, as well as providing good quality succession employment for Poundland.

“Awareness of the value of T-Levels is growing, it is a scheme the Government is very keen to develop.

“T Levels are a great way of offering young people the chance to learn practical skills in the workplace alongside teaching in the classroom, so they are better equipped for the world of work.”

Walsall College prides itself on its determination to ‘unleash the potential of individuals, communities and businesses’.

Manveer Johal, the Work Experience Co-ordinator at Walsall College, said: “T Levels are a Level 3 qualification, equivalent to three A Levels.

“They have been developed to enable students to learn the skills that employers need both in the classroom and in the workplace.

“Richard is required to complete 315 hours of placement at Poundland in Walsall as part of his course, which is a tremendous opportunity for him to learn from Poundland colleagues.

“Poundland has been really supportive towards Walsall College to enable our students to discover what life is like in the workplace.

“It is a real learning curve. T Levels offer a wonderful opportunity for young people to really develop their employability skills.

“It is all about learning what it is like to work within a team, learning important new skills and understanding what life is like in the world of work.

“We are very proud that Richard is our first T-Level student from Walsall College to work within Poundland, which is an important local employer in Walsall.

“It is all about getting employers in our region on board with our T Level programme and supporting young people.

“We are looking forward to Poundland being able to offer more opportunities to our students in the months and years ahead.”