T Level drives data career success for Mohammed

Mohammed Kayani, a T Level student at Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) has secured a degree apprenticeship with his placement employer after impressing with his performance in industry.

Mohammed, who is studying Digital Support and Security (Cyber Security & Networking), has been offered a degree apprenticeship with global logistics company, Bleckmann following the success of his industry placement.

During his placement, Mohammed worked on live projects for international clients, producing data insights and dashboards that supported key business decisions. His strong technical skills, attention to detail and professionalism saw him consistently exceed expectations.

Alongside his placement, Mohammed has demonstrated a strong commitment to developing his skills, regularly ranking at the top of the College’s TryHackMe cyber security leaderboard. He has also contributed to college open events, confidently engaging with prospective students and representing his course.

Mohammed has been nominated for the Workplace Success Award in the College’s FE & Apprenticeship Awards, as well as for a national T Level Learner of the Year Award. His progression highlights the impact of T Levels in equipping students with the skills, confidence and experience needed to move directly into skilled employment and higher-level training.

Mohammed said: “What I’ve enjoyed most about my T Level is the opportunity to work on real-world projects and see how my work can make a genuine impact. It’s been a great experience learning new skills like Tableau and applying what I’ve learned in the classroom to a professional environment. It’s also really helped build my confidence and independence.

“I’m now looking forward to continuing my journey with a degree apprenticeship at Bleckmann, where I can keep developing my skills in business intelligence and data analysis. I would definitely recommend a T Level to others – it’s not just about learning, it’s about gaining real industry experience. You’re treated like an employee, and it gives you a clear idea of what you want to do in the future.”

Staff at Bleckmann praised Mohammed’s contribution and the wider impact of T Level placements on the business. Nicola McCluskey, Cluster HR Business Partner at Bleckmann said: “Mohammed’s progression has been outstanding. In just a few months, he’s gone from learning new systems to producing work of a standard we would expect from someone with years of experience. The dashboards and insights he has created are already helping to shape client decisions.”

Ian French, Business Intelligence Manager at Bleckmann added: “We’ve been offering T Level placements for the past three years, and the value they bring to our business has been fantastic. Students like Mohammed are a real credit to the College. Watching his journey has been incredibly rewarding – he joined us quite shy, but his confidence, technical ability and communication skills have developed rapidly in a short space of time.

“From early on, Mohammed was contributing to real client work, even supporting data insights that helped inform major business decisions. That level of impact is remarkable and shows just how effective T Levels are in preparing young people for industry.”

Burton and South Derbyshire College is encouraging more local employers to get involved in supporting students through work placements, helping to develop the next generation of skilled professionals. Employers interested in offering a placement opportunity are invited to get in touch via [email protected].