Rotamec has established an award-winning relationship with Weston College, by working closely together to offer young people the opportunity to enter the engineering industry, through apprenticeships and industry placements through T Level programmes.
The partnership is founded on a shared commitment to provide young people with meaningful opportunities to launch their engineering careers, supported by the guidance they need from both the employer and the college, to succeed.
Rotamec is also one of Weston College’s Career Excellence Hub endorsers, meaning they play an active role in attending events, helping with designing curriculum based on industry needs and providing employer briefs and real-life case studies to encourage up-to-date workplace problem solving, and offering insightful placement opportunities for students.
Paul Pearce, Sales and Operations Director, said: “We work closely with Weston College at every step, ensuring that we provide the best possible learning opportunities and facilities for all students.
“Our shared vision is to create an environment where students can learn, develop, and enhance our core engineering skills, securing the future of our industry.” 
As T Levels continue to transform vocational training across the UK, employers want to know what the qualifications entail for them and how the industry placement works – from finding the placement to the types of tasks they need to complete.
Here, Sandra Bull (SB), Assistant Principal and T Level Lead at Weston College, and Paul Korb (PK), Health and Safety, Compliance and Sustainability Manager at Rotamec (pictured below, left), who welcomes T Level learners each year, highlight the huge benefits and diverse opportunities that T Levels offer:
How does the Industry Placement fit into the overall T Level programme?
SB: Each curriculum area designs their delivery with several selected employers as part of our Career Excellence Hub. They use them and the qualification spec to ensure that the placement is built in at the most appropriate time for that industry sector.
This may alter with each curriculum, for example Education and Early years have a national shortage of room staff so our learners assist via weekly placements.
In Digital we have employers happier to give projects so this specific division offer placements in blocks so that learners can see a project move from its start to completion.
PK: Bringing T Level students into the Rotamec business gives our staff a great opportunity to practise their mentoring skills.
Young people bring fresh ideas and new ways of thinking that can help our existing staff think differently about the way they do things. In addition to this, it allows the business to assess suitable candidates for an apprenticeship position, a try before we buy scenario. 
Can you provide an overview of the type of tasks my child will be doing during their Industry Placement?
SB: The Placement Officer and Tutor attached to your industry will explain what tasks may be required to complete and how this will fit into the overall qualification specification leading to the achievement.
PK: Each placement will be different depending on the course your child is on. Rotamec ensures that the activities undertaken during the placement, under pins the course.
Therefore, we will ensure that the placement has a blended learning outcome for your child. There may be some tasks that your child will undertake, but this is essential to give the child the chance to experience a normal working day that may be varied.
Are there opportunities for my child to continue working with the company after completing their Industry Placement?
SB: Absolutely and for many this is why they have chosen the T Level route. The programme gives you time and the employer time to find out what options would best fit you into the company as your skills and work behaviours develop. It also gives learners the time to work out if the company is the right fit for them, once they have completed their course.
PK: The placement not only benefits the student during their experience with us, but it further allows the business to assess and find the ideal candidate who wishes to pursue a career in our industry. It allows us to “try before we buy” and we will offer an apprenticeship at the completion of their course.
Not only does this benefit the business, but it also allows the student to sample our business and decide if this is a career path they wish to pursue.
How does the Industry Placement align with the specific pathway or specialisation my child is pursuing within their T Level?
SB: For most T Level routes, you can have two placements in the programme. For many this may result in one for the first year linked to core elements of delivery, with a change over the summer period (as you enter into the second year) to a placement more specific to the chosen pathway.
PK: Our business ensures that the lesson plan aligns itself to the specific pathway that the student is on. Sometimes the student may learn additional skills. This is modelled to give the student the maximum experience during their placement. 
As well as industry placements, Rotamec offers several apprenticeships, each year. One of the major success stories, is apprentice Riley Burton (pictured right), who has won several awards for the work he has done an apprentice.
Riley’s exceptional dedication and passion for engineering have not only advanced his professional skills but also enriched his personal development.
He has become a guiding light for new apprentices, providing support both in their workplace endeavours and academic pursuits. His recent nomination as the Southwestern Apprenticeship Ambassador in engineering by Weston College underscores his commitment to uplifting the engineering trade in the educational sector.
Find out more about the partnership between Rotamec and Weston College in this short video: https://youtu.be/ELan2DN4XcQ
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