Bridging the skills gap through T Level collaboration

Through work experience placements, Goldsmiths’ IT department is building skills and employability for young people in Lewisham.

As a university, Goldsmiths is committed to making higher education accessible and purposeful, in the local community as in wider society. But this is only part of the story. It is also an important civic actor in Lewisham, leading on local initiatives and with many long-standing local partnerships, and the third-largest employer in Lewisham.

Developing IT expertise

Goldsmiths IT department plays a crucial role in ensuring that students and staff have access to the digital tools and resources they need for learning, teaching, and research. It undertakes essential work spanning online learning platforms, cybersecurity, and technical support, using skills expertise which are highly transferable to other education settings and businesses. As such, it is ideally placed to support skills development and professional training for local people.

Local collaboration

A long-standing collaborative relationship with Lewisham College – one of 11 signatories to the Goldsmiths Civic University Agreement, launched in 2021 – is one way in which Goldsmiths seeks to build opportunities for people in the area.

As a result of this collaboration, this summer 18-year-old Chiagozie Henry Alo (Henry) joined Goldsmiths’ IT department for a six-week work experience programme as part of the T Level – a two-year, post-GCSE course of study – he is pursuing at Lewisham College.

Building practical skills and confidence

Originally from Ebonyi State, Nigeria, Henry arrived eager to expand his practical IT skills and gain experience in a professional setting.

During his placement, Henry engaged in a variety of tasks that gave him a thorough understanding of the essential functions of Goldsmiths’ IT department. He created tickets, worked in the Media Equipment Centre, learned to build and image Macs and PCs, and assisted with queries at the Service Desk counter. He was able to apply the theoretical knowledge he had gained at college in a real-world setting, helping to bridge the gap between classroom learning and practical application.

The IT department provided Henry with a supportive environment in which to develop his technical skills and his confidence in dealing with customers and colleagues. Through daily interactions, he enhanced his social skills, learned how to communicate effectively in a professional setting, and became more comfortable in handling customer service queries.

Mutual benefits of collaboration

Opportunities like this align with Goldsmiths’ fundamental commitment to the local community and to investing in the next generation through education. By working with local colleges and providing opportunities for their students, placements like this contribute to the growth of a more skilled and capable workforce in the region.

They also serve as a pipeline for future talent: students like Henry might choose to return to us as their career develops, as skilled professionals who are already familiar with our company culture and operations.

And, while this placement was explicitly designed to support Henry’s learning, the team felt significant benefits from his time with them, too. As Mindy Bour explained:

“It highlighted the value of integrating students into our team – their approaches to problem-solving and technology , and the questions they ask, help us to improve as an organisation.”