Placements, Internships & Volunteering
Work placements, internships and volunteering are all great ways for students to step into the world of work for a fixed period of time, increase their skills and clarify their goals.
Employers can use work experience strategically to build relationships with students earlier on in their student journey. Many employers struggle with attracting the right applicants and competing against other recruiters - work experience can be a way to identify and 'lock in' talent ahead of the competition.
What are work placements?
A work placement is a form of employment in which university students work in an industry relevant to their field of study. Work placements often last for 12 months and take place between the penultimate and final degree year however they can can be shorter in duration or even completed virtually.
Work placements are also known as sandwich years, a year in industry or a placement year and can be optional or compulsory to students depending on their particular course.
- Grow your talent pipeline
- Attract a new generation of recruits from new sources
- Tackle skill shortages
- A chance to see potential future recruits using their skills and abilities
- Streamline recruitment processes
- Find innovative solutions to a business problem
- Funding may be available for your project
Contact us via cesplacements@beds.ac.uk to discuss your requirements in more detail.
Visit GOV.UK for a comprehensive guide on the employment rights and pay for interns
In a challenging labour market, many organisations are looking to internship programmes as a way to gain motivated members of staff, who can bring new skills and perspectives to their business.
Not only could an internship ensure your business has the right talent to grow, it will also provide one of our students with a meaningful experience that enhances their employability.
What is an internship?
The prime purpose of an internship programme is to provide interns with a workplace experience that enhances their employability and skills. Internships can last anything up to one year but quite often take place during the summer months or after graduation.
Visit GOV.UK for a comprehensive guide on the employment rights and pay for interns
During their time with an organisation, interns should be treated with the same degree of professionalism and duty of care as regular employees. If the intern is of a suitable calibre and proves themselves capable of performing well in your organisation, there is no reason why you cannot offer them a permanent position.
Many students take part in voluntary work not just to gain confidence, skills and experience but also to make new friends and bring something to the community.
We are delighted to support UK charities and not for profit organisations with recruiting student volunteers.
To advertise your voluntary roles you should first create an account on the Handshake platform, visit out Support and Advice for Employers page for guidance on this.
address
Careers & Employability Service
University of Bedfordshire
University Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU
Social media
twitter - unibedscareers
facebook - unibedscareers
instagram - unibedscareers
instagram - uniofbedsvolunteering
Please note that the University of Bedfordshire Careers & Employability Service does not endorse specific employers or organisations linked to the website.
telephone
During office hours
(Monday - Friday 10am - 4pm)
+44 (0)1234 400 400
Outside office hours
(Campus Watch)
+44 (0)1582 743 989
General Careers Enquiries
careers@beds.ac.uk
Employers
recruit@beds.ac.uk
Employability Units
employabilityunits@beds.ac.uk
Professional Practice Year Placements
cesplacements@beds.ac.uk
