As thousands of young people across the West Midlands sit their summer exams and consider what comes next, new case studies from the region highlight that there’s more than one route into a successful career, with both school leavers and adult learners gaining real-world skills and moving into work.
At a time when many students feel pressure to follow a traditional academic pathway, Kallam Gill, 18, from Oldbury, is taking a different route, combining classroom learning with hands-on industry experience through a T Level in Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction.
Currently studying at Aston University Engineering Academy and completing a placement with BAM UK & Ireland, Kallam is gaining insight into the construction sector while developing practical skills that set him apart early on.
“Taking a T Level is an excellent way to get experience in the industry you want to go into… it gives a better insight into what construction is really about.”
He has also taken part in an international construction project, helping to build community infrastructure abroad, an experience he says opened his eyes to the impact of engineering and strengthened his ambition to pursue a career in architecture.
“Work placement gives opportunities and skills which would be far more difficult to be taught in a classroom.”
Alongside school leavers, adult learners in the region are also using skills training to change careers. Philip Cleaver, based in the West Midlands, completed a Level 3 coding bootcamp and has since moved into work as a web developer.
“The coursework was challenging… but it pushed me to develop my skills further… it was an interesting and rewarding programme that has given me skills I can use going forward.”
Philip says the course helped him build confidence and apply new technical skills directly into his career, highlighting the role that flexible training routes can play for people at different stages of life.
With exam season underway, stories like Kallam and Philip’s reflect a broader shift across the West Midlands, with more people exploring practical routes that combine learning with real-world experience, helping them move into skilled jobs or further training more quickly.
In Kallam’s case, this has already meant hands-on industry experience and clear progression opportunities, while Philip’s experience shows how retraining later in life can also lead directly into employment.
- Over 90% of T Level students are in work or further study after completing their course
- In the last academic year (24/25), 96% completed an industry placement, with around a third going on to secure jobs with their placement employer
- 71% say their T Level prepared them for the workplace, significantly higher than comparable courses