Work Placements 

It is our ambition that all University College Birmingham students benefit from a period of relevant work experience. We firmly believe that this is the most effective way for students to embed their ‘world of work’ and occupational skills whilst providing employers the fantastic opportunity to support the development of potential employees of the future.

All of our higher education courses provide the option for students to gain work experience or complete a placement. Some courses even have a compulsory work placement such as courses in the School of Education, Health and Community and the 48-week paid placement on our hospitality degree courses and our Culinary Arts Management degree course. In addition, all of our further education students must go out on meaningful work experience and we aim for these to be from 70 – 350 hours over the course of a year.

We do this because your business needs it; because the ‘lack of work experience’ closely followed by a ‘lack of soft skills’ are the biggest challenges facing employers when you try to recruit. Structured and supported work experience can overcome these challenges. Work experience can also help you promote your business and your sector, reduce your recruitment costs, provide a ‘try before you buy’ and make your business an employer of choice.