Middlesbrough College student James Wallace is celebrating his permanent offer of employment after impressing his employer during his 45-day T Level work placement. The talented 18-year-old has been offered a full-time role as a Software Engineer with Middlesbrough-based software engineering firm, Greenlord Studios.
James, from Thornaby, is in his final year at Middlesbrough College studying the T Level Technical qualification in Digital Production Design & Development and has started working for the digital company on a part-time basis whilst he completes his qualification. He’ll begin his full-time post in May on completion of his T Level.
James was the first T Level student that Greenlord Studios worked with, and already the firm are reaping the results of the placement. Joshua Legg, Director and CTO of Greenlord Studios said: “Taking on a T Level student with Middlesbrough College has been an overwhelmingly positive and successful experience. James was a fantastic surprise for us. He is more than capable and progressed quickly to work on real-life tasks with clients during his studies, which was hugely beneficial for our company.
“The T Level placement offered a unique opportunity for us to grow our own talent and shape our workforce, which is why we have continued to work with the College and take on more T Level work placements this year.
“I would encourage other businesses to support a T level student through a work placement and to help develop the next generation of talent. By offering a placement, students gain the skills and experience they need to succeed in industry, and you are directly benefitting too by developing a loyal employee with the skillset required for your business to thrive.
“We are thrilled that James is continuing his career with us, and I’m very proud of him.”
James said: “I’m delighted to have secured a role with Greenlord Studios! I’ve really enjoyed studying my T Level at Middlesbrough College and the 45-day work placement has provided me with the essential hands-on experience in the digital industry.
“All the hard work has now paid off and I couldn’t be more thankful to the College for providing me with the opportunity.
“I would recommend studying T Levels to school leavers, the course has helped me get my foot into the industry I want to work in and it’s a bonus that I’ve secured a role that I love on completion of my placement.”
Middlesbrough College was one of the first institutions selected by Government to deliver T level courses, the pioneering new qualifications which are equivalent to three A Levels. The courses are developed in partnership with local employers and students spend 80% of their time in the classroom and 20% of their time in the workplace, putting the skills they have learnt into action and getting a real taste of industry.
The T Level in Digital Production, Design and Development is based in Middlesbrough College’s new digital centre – MC Digital. The multi-million-pound facility is home to industry leading programming suites, cyber labs, video editing suites, a games design suite, a full TV and film studio, VR headsets, 360 cameras and more.
There are places available for September 2023 on a range of T Level courses the College offer including business, law, catering, childcare, construction, digital, media, engineering, hair and beauty, health and social care and science. Find out more and apply online here.
For more information on how businesses can take advantage of T Levels, click here to find out more.
