Understanding T Levels and the new skills reforms

About this event

Explore T Levels and skills reforms and how HR can build future talent pipelines and the workforce skills organisations need.

This session will help HR and people professionals understand what T Levels are, how they fit within England’s wider skills reforms - including the introduction of the Growth and Skills Levy - and what all of this means for how organisations recruit and develop future talent.

Attendees can expect:

• A clear overview of T Levels — what they are, how they compare to apprenticeships, and how industry placements work.
• Insight into the wider reform of the skills system, including the shift to the Growth and Skills Levy and the increasing focus on employer-led training and occupational skills pathways.
• Practical guidance on how employers can engage with T Levels, including hosting placements, shaping local provision and embedding T Level routes into early careers strategies.
• Discussion of how HR teams can build sustainable talent pipelines, support social mobility, and ensure skills investment aligns with organisational workforce planning and future skills needs.
• Case examples and suggested actions to help employers turn national policy into practical workforce solutions.

The session will be suitable for HR, L&D, early careers and workforce planning professionals at all levels, and for employers new to T Levels as well as those already engaging with vocational and work-based learning routes.

Guest speakers:

Lizzie Crowley – Senior Skills Adviser, CIPD

Annie Coles - Technical Education Specialist, Strategic Development Network

Annie is an experienced quality and sector leader with over 20 years’ experience across industry and further education. Starting her career as an apprentice, she brings a practical, grounded understanding of how high-quality provision works in reality.
She has spent the past 10 years in further education, leading on the quality of apprenticeships, work-based learning, and FE and Skills curriculum, following a decade in industry roles across the Health, Service and Specialty Retail sectors. During her time in FE, Annie achieved her CIPD qualification in HR practice, strengthening her expertise in people development, learner experience and organisational improvement.
As part of the SDN Mesma team, Annie works alongside leaders and delivery teams to take fresh, honest approaches to quality improvement. She brings a supportive but challenging style, helping organisations build ownership, think differently, and embed improvements that last.

John Banks - Apprenticeships and T Levels Manager, Lloyds Banking Group.

John's work focusses on attracting and developing talent and he is deeply committed to advancing social mobility, striving to create opportunities for individuals from all backgrounds to achieve their full potential. John has been recognised for his services to education and is an active member of several networks, including the T Level Ambassador Network. He regularly supports upskill webinars and employer forums for DfE, championing technical education routes. Away from work, John is passionate about coaching and mentoring young people.

Lloyds Banking Group is the UK’s largest financial services group. Apprenticeships and T Levels are a key part of our next generation talent strategy at Lloyds Banking Group and support our wider purpose to Help Britain Prosper. We see apprenticeships as a powerful enabler of inclusive talent development - supporting over 1,000 apprentices annually across 30 disciplines, with embedded mentoring, tailored support, and ambassadorial roles. Our youth strategy spans school engagement, T Level placements and degree apprenticeships, helping young people build skills and confidence. In the last year alone, we welcomed 600+ new starters and engaged 112,000 young people through insight events - demonstrating our commitment to helping Britain prosper through youth investment.

Please note:

1. Webinar joining instructions will be sent to you again 1 day before the event, with a further reminder 15 minutes prior to the event starting.
2. The session may be recorded and shared with people afterwards. Please bear this in mind and have your camera off if you do not wish for your image to be shared.
3. The chat function will be used for participants to engage with the webinar, so just be mindful of the login name you use and ensure you are happy for other people to see this.
4. For security reasons, it is requested that participants join the live session 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and with the same name as registered on Eventbrite - not doing so may cause a delay or non-admittance to the event.
5. This event may include an external speaker who has prepared their own presentation. Any views or opinions expressed by the speaker are their own and do not reflect those of the CIPD.
6. If you require any reasonable adjustments to enhance your experience, please get in contact with us by responding to this email and we will do our best to accommodate.