NSAFD Launches New Toolkit to Help Food & Drink Employers Engage with Engineering T Levels 

The National Skills Academy for Food & Drink (NSAFD), in partnership with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation, has launched a new T Level Toolkit for Employers in the Food & Drink Sector, designed to help businesses strengthen their engineering and manufacturing talent pipelines. 

The toolkit brings together practical guidance, employer insights and sector specific advice to help food and drink manufacturers understand how T Level industry placements work, and how they can use them to develop future technical talent. 

Drawing on extensive employer interviews, surveys and real-world case studies, the resource explains how industry placements can support recruitment, build workforce capability and open up new pathways into engineering roles.  

Why this matters for the sector 

Engineering and manufacturing roles remain some of the hardest to fill across food and drink. T Levels offer a powerful solution: a two-year technical qualification combining classroom learning with at least 315 hours of industry placement, giving students hands‑on experience and employers early access to emerging talent. 

Employers already hosting placements report significant benefits - from fresh ideas and increased capacity to stronger future recruitment pipelines. As one employer put it, “Hosting T Level students… has been highly beneficial: they bring strong technical knowledge, quickly become productive, and contribute real value to the business”. 

What’s inside the toolkit 

The new toolkit provides: 

• A clear explanation of engineering and manufacturing T Levels 

• Practical guidance on planning, managing and reviewing placements 

• Advice on health and safety, supervision, safeguarding and insurance 

• Real employer case studies, including ABP Food Group’s multiblock placement model 

• Step-by-step support for identifying providers, selecting students and designing meaningful projects 

• Links to trusted DfE and Gatsby resources 

It also addresses common employer concerns, from working with under‑18s to managing supervision, and shows how these can be resolved with the right preparation and provider support.  

Real impact in real businesses 

The toolkit features a detailed case study from ABP Food Group, which has successfully integrated T Level students into engineering teams across multiple sites. Their structured placement model enabled students to gain deep experience across abattoir, boning, butchery and retail operations, and even deliver technical projects with tangible business benefits, such as proposed machinery improvements saving over £1,000 a year. 

Supporting the sector’s future workforce 

With engineering talent shortages continuing to challenge the sector, T Levels offer a strategic opportunity for employers to shape, support and secure the next generation of skilled technicians. 

The new toolkit is designed to make the process simple, clear and achievable for businesses of all sizes - whether they’re ready to host a placement now or want to explore first steps such as site visits or employer talks. 

• Download the T Level Toolkit for Employers in the Food & Drink Sector
• Contact NSAFD at [email protected] to connect with your local T Level provider 
• Or register your interest via: https://employers.tlevels.gov.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/8481078453138-Register-an-interest-in-T-Levels-and-industry-placements