Defining the Placement Opportunity

We recommend that placement opportunities should develop skills and experiences that students can use to benefit them during their academic studies, with a view to securing graduate opportunities. We therefore use the term ‘graduate level’ to help define the kinds of work experience that may be suitable.

Some organisations use placements as a recruitment tool to allow them to find fantastic students who could be a future employee, either on a part-time basis during the student's time at University or when they graduate. Placements can also be used for a variety of other reasons, including (but not limited to) completing projects, to fill gaps where staff have left, or to help where workload has become excessive for current staff.

When thinking about a placement, you should consider this in the same way as if you needed to recruit a new or temporary staff member by taking into account:

The overall purpose/outcome of the work.
Activities/tasks needed to complete the work successfully.
Skills/experience required to undertake the activities/tasks (bear in mind that students may or may not have any prior experience in work when thinking about this element)
Salary (placements can be unpaid but we would recommend payment is always made at least to the minimum wage, especially for longer placements i.e. over 2 weeks in duration.)

Any obligations relating to pensions – government advice for employers can be found here.

Training
Management/supervision
Working on-site or remotely. Whilst working on site has lots of benefits, bear in mind that students may not be able to get to your premises unless they live nearby or they can afford to move/travel (unlikely if unpaid.)
The duration of the placement to fit one or more of our placement programmes/modules. All of our placement modules have specific requirements around the number of hours/weeks/months necessary for the student to complete assessments and gain the required credits. You can find more information on our placement modules by clicking on the drop-down menu at the bottom of this page and downloading the module information spreadsheets found in the relevant sections. This can be a little time-consuming, so feel free to contact us for assistance if needed.

International Students and Visas

The University has many students who arrive from countries/region outside the UK and may therefore require a visa to study and work. They are able to undertake a placement with an employer as part of a credit-bearing programme without the need to apply for any further visas, and this would not be required of the organisation either.

These students can offer the workplace; a fantastic insight into other cultures, ability to speak other languages and a range of skills and attributes that will benefit organisations. Whilst there may be visa requirements for them to work on a permanent basis or outside their studies, they can still undertake short-term or year-long placements.

COVID-19 Impact on Placements

Whilst there are no longer restrictions/requirements for COVID-19 in England and are being phased out in other parts of the UK, we expect placements to proceed in line with up-to-date guidelines wherever the opportunity takes place.

We recognise that this may impact the length or type of placement you may be able to offer a student. If you are unsure if your opportunity would be suitable for one of our students as a placement then please get in contact with us as we are working closely with employers to continue to support the provision of placements for our students.

Placement Requirements and Modules

These will vary depending on the particular placement programme/module a student is undertaking, however some examples can be found below;

Industrial or Professional Placement Year

Typically last for between 6 to 12 months
Some students may be able to undertake two or more shorter placements as part of their overall placement requirements
Opportunities usually start in June to August
Undergraduate students take the placement in their third year
Work must be of an appropriate graduate level and aid career development
Advertised at least 3 months in advance of start date to allow for recruitment process and University placement paperwork process
We would recommend that all placements are paid on a minimum of National Living Wage
Students may need to complete an academic piece of work e.g. a report as part of their placement module and you may be asked to provide feedback as part of this
Here is a list of our current year long placement modules with recommended advertising timelines
Placement students may need to complete an academic piece of work e.g. report, based on their placement
Here is our current Year in Industry Placement Module List

Short-term placement modules

The minimum placement length ranges from 1 week up to 3 months and may be worked on a full time or part time basis both during term time and holidays
Placements are undertaken by both undergraduates and postgraduates
Short-term placements may be unpaid although we would recommend all placements are paid
Advertised at least 2-3 months in advance of start date to allow for recruitment process and University placement paperwork process
Placement students may need to complete an academic piece of work e.g. report, based on their placement
Here is our current Short Placement Module List‌‌

International placements

Often follow the same recruitment pattern as short-term placements
Work placements/Internships (from 1 to 12 months)
Turing scheme work abroad placements
Graduate placements/Internships (2 months +)