Work Placements, Internships and Volunteering
Gaining a degree will add value to your resume, but if you can’t demonstrate adequate work experience when you apply for a job, employers will be less likely to shortlist your application. This page will outline some of the ways in which you can gain valuable work experience while you are studying with us.
Work Placements
At GBS, certain courses require students to complete mandatory work experience alongside their studies at different points throughout the course. A work placement is an assessed period of temporary employment in which a student works at a company or organisation in a sector relevant to their area of study.
The purpose of a work placement is to provide our students the opportunity to develop key skills and competencies, identify potential career paths, and enhance their graduate employability. GBS work experience placements are credit-bearing and fully assessed, and you are entitled to the support of the Placements Team in finding a suitable role.
Here is a breakdown of each GBS course which features a mandatory work placement component:
BSc (Hons) Health & Social Care – In their Level 5 year of study, Health and Social Care students are required to complete a 150-hour work placement
HNC/HND Healthcare Practice for England – Students on this course are required to complete a 225-hour work placement each year of study
Here is a brief overview of the full placements process. You will receive a full work placement induction at the start of the academic year.
At the start of your placement year, you will be assigned a Placement Officer who will contact you regularly with suitable opportunities. You may also wish to view the jobs board in the Careers and Placement Hub, where we regularly advertise placement opportunities on behalf of our employer partners.
You can also book an appointment with the Placement Officer at your campus via the Careers and Placement Hub to discuss placement options. You are encouraged to search for your own placement with support from the placement team.
As a highly specialised area of study, many Accounting and Finance students go on to pursue careers in particular accounting specialisms. However, an Accounting and Finance degree develops transferrable skills that are useful in many different sectors.
Graduate career paths for Accounting and Finance students include:
- Public Accounting
- Private Accounting
- Tax Accounting
- Financial Accounting
- Management Accounting
- Forensic Accounting
- External Auditing
- Stockbroking
- Actuarial Science
- Banking
- Data Analysis
- Conveyancing
- Management Consulting
Here is a breakdown of each GBS course which features a mandatory work placement component:
BSc (Hons) Health & Social Care – In their Level 5 year of study, Health and Social Care students are required to complete a 150-hour work placement
HNC/HND Healthcare Practice for England – Students on this course are required to complete a 225-hour work placement each year of study
Internships
Internships are an incredibly popular way for degree students to gain experience during their time at university. They are very common and can be found in almost every industry.
Internships are short-term, temporary periods of employment within an organisation, specifically aimed at students. They are very popular with students as they generally take place during the summer break, so they shouldn’t interfere with your studies. They usually last between 4 and 12 weeks. Students usually undertake internships in the summer break of their first or second year of study.
The benefits of internships include:
- Getting an insight into a particular industry and discovering a career that is of interest to you
- Developing your existing skills, and learning new skills that you can only acquire through practical experience
- Enhancing your CV and making you more attractive to future employers
Internships tend to pay on average between £13,000 and £23,000. This does vary depending on the industry, location, level of work and skills required to enter the post.
You will find that certain industries and employers offer internships on an unpaid basis. While these can still be valuable opportunities, make sure that you do your research into the details. Check the following websites to see if there are any existing reviews from students who have previously undertaken these internships:
Rate My Placement - https://www.ratemyplacement.co.uk/
Glassdoor - https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/index.htm
It is also important that you understand your rights, especially if you are planning to undertake an unpaid internship. See below for more information.
To give you a head start in your internship search, we have put together a list of sources for vacancies here.
Internships are short-term, temporary periods of employment within an organisation, specifically aimed at students. They are very popular with students as they generally take place during the summer break, so they shouldn’t interfere with your studies. They usually last between 4 and 12 weeks. Students usually undertake internships in the summer break of their first or second year of study.
Volunteering
Volunteering opportunities are very common and are accessible no matter where you live. Charities and social enterprises across the UK are always in need of volunteers to support them in delivering their services and working towards their goals.
There are many good reasons to consider volunteering. Here are just a few:
- Volunteering provides you an opportunity to give back to your community and make a difference to peoples’ lives.
- Opportunities are abundant and many organisations recruit volunteers all year round.
- Volunteering allows you to try different kinds of roles in different sectors.
- Volunteering is an excellent way to develop your CV.
- Volunteering helps you gain essential skills that graduate employers will look for.
Try these resources if you want to look for volunteering opportunities in your area.
Leeds:
https://northyorkshireconnect.org.uk/
https://www.leeds.gov.uk/jobs-skills-and-training/volunteering
https://doinggoodleeds.org.uk/volunteering/
Birmingham:
https://getvolunteering.co.uk/places/west-midlands
Manchester:
https://manchestercommunitycentral.org/volunteer-centre-manchester
London:
https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/volunteering/search/
https://www.handsonlondon.org.uk/volunteer
https://reachvolunteering.org.uk/volunteering-opportunities-london
Here are several nationwide platforms dedicated to highlighting volunteering opportunities.
https://www.charityjob.co.uk/volunteer-jobs
There are many good reasons to consider volunteering. Here are just a few:
- Volunteering provides you an opportunity to give back to your community and make a difference to peoples’ lives.
- Opportunities are abundant and many organisations recruit volunteers all year round.
- Volunteering allows you to try different kinds of roles in different sectors.
- Volunteering is an excellent way to develop your CV.
- Volunteering helps you gain essential skills that graduate employers will look for.
Work Placements
If you are a GBS student with a query about your work placement, you should contact one of the following addresses, depending on your course:
LTU
placements@globalbanking.ac.uk
Pearson
pearsonshcp@globalbanking.ac.uk
DET
detplacements@globalbanking.ac.uk
If you are an employer interested in becoming a work placement provider, your enquiry should be directed to the Placements Team.